


Placebo

by Rinner



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - X-Files Fusion, Alternative Universe - FBI, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Potential non-con, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, UmiTori is side pairing, not really sure but going to tag it just in case
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2018-05-15 11:57:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 95,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5784499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinner/pseuds/Rinner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Special Agent Eli Ayase has everything. A PhD, the respect of her superiors, and a flourishing career. She's on her way to becoming a superstar. However, her intellect leads her down a different path when her supervisor reassigns her to work with Agent Nozomi Toujou, whose reputation is less than gold, and suddenly, Eli must choose between her career and what she knows is right.</p><p>X-Files-esque FBI AU. May add more characters.</p><p>Spoiler: Rin, Umi, and Kotori are the Lone Gunmen (AKA "The United Vigilante").</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Demoted

**Author's Note:**

> Goddammit, I WILL finish this. I promise.

   Eli Ayase had the rare privilege of saying that she had accomplished everything she was aiming for in life, and by the not-so-ripe age of twenty-eight, nonetheless. After completing her doctorate in medicine at John Hopkins, she’d graduated top of her class from the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and had transferred up to D.C. right away. It didn’t take her very long to win the approval of her superiors, either, who praised her for her work ethic and dedication to her job and the law. She lived alone with her degree and her cat Socks in a nice apartment in D.C., and was quite content that way.

   Things had been going quite well for Eli, as a matter of fact; she and her partner, Vivian Thomas, had been on the hunt for a Wall Street billionaire who’d apparently been running one hell of a Ponzi scheme; Vivian thought he had fled to Bermuda, but Eli had other ideas. They had just gotten a tip from one of the suspect’s secretaries, and the investigation was looking up—which is why she was so surprised when she received an email from Assistant Director Perdue saying that she was being taken off the case.

   She hadn’t even gotten the chance to tell Vivian yet, though, it was likely she already knew. Was there someone taking her place? Could it have been that she did something wrong?

   The sound of her phone ringing brought Eli out her trance. She knocked a stack of papers off her desk in her hurry;

   “Ayase,” she said quickly.

   “Agent Ayase?” a woman’s voice said over the phone.

   “Yes, who is this?”  
   “This is Jenna Munn, the secretary for Assistant Director Perdue,” she said, and Eli’s heart seized up. “The Assistant Director would like to speak with you as soon as possible, please.”  
   Obviously, by “as soon as possible,” she meant “now,” and Eli wasted no time in assuring her she knew that. “Tell him I’m on my way,” she said.

   “Thank you.”

   She hung up, and Eli stood up abruptly from her desk, and grabbed her coat off the back of her chair. Oh _god_ , how she hoped she wasn’t in trouble. She’d at least hoped to keep this up until she was thirty. Her 401K was a _mess_ right now.  
  Assistant Director Perdue’s office was at the end of a very long hallway, and the walk was not doing much for Eli’s nerves. When she did reach the office, she found the door open and waiting for her.  
   “Agent Ayase,” Perdue said as she walked inside. “Please, sit down.”  
   “Thank you sir,” she said, nervously taking a seat. “Is this about the Maehugh case?”

   “No, not at all,” he said. “Your work on that case has been excellent thus far, exactly what we’ve come to expect from you. Which is precisely why we’re reassigning you.”

   “Reassigning?” Eli said, surprised. Reassignment meant a whole new set of assignments, a new partner, maybe even a new department. “C-Can I ask why?”

   “Your medical and scientific skills give you a sense of down-to-earth skepticism that we need right now,” he said. “Have you met Nozomi Toujou?”

   “Special Agent Toujou?” she asked. Toujou’s name had floated in and out of Eli’s files from time to time, but their focuses were very different. Nevertheless, the reports all seemed positive; she had an excellent case resolution record. “I’ve heard of her, but I’ve never met her in person, no.”  
   “Agent Toujou has an excellent record,” Perdue said. “Her profiling skills are unmatched, as well as her observations on the crime scene. Her reports, however, are, well—lacking.”  
   Eli frowned. “In what way?”

   Perdue pulled a folder out from his desk drawer and handed it to Eli. “This is one of her more recent field reports. You can read it for yourself to see what I’m talking about, but the long and short of it is that although Agent Toujou’s findings are remarkable, she has absolutely no justification for how she does it.”  
   “What do you mean?”

   “Toujou has a ‘method—‘ if you could really call it that—which seems to evade her previous partners. She can walk into a room and recount almost exactly what happened—if I didn’t know better, I’d say it’s almost as though she’s psychic.”

   “And what’s the problem?”

   “The problem is, Agent Ayase, that not only have Agent Toujou’s partners been concerned with her strange methods, but there’s fear that she’s somehow working ‘outside,’ if you know what I mean,” he said. “Along with her methods, Toujou’s partners have reported her as ‘strange,’ ‘distant,’ ‘unconventional,’ and my personal favorite, ‘a bit of a quack.’”

   Eli restrained a slight laugh. “So what is it you want me to do, sir?”

   “I’d like you to take your own investigation into Agent Toujou’s work,” he said. “Hopefully, you can bring a scientific perspective to it, and get some answers as to what’s going on here.”

   “Of course,” she said. “I’d love to know what exactly it is that gives Agent Toujou such an edge.”

   “Good,” he said. “In that case, Agent, you’re dismissed.”

   Eli nodded, and started towards the door; “Wait one second,” Perdue said, and she turned around. “Can I mention something to you… off the record?”

   “Of course, sir.”  
   “Agent Toujou’s work… dabbles a little in the unusual,” he said. “It’s easy to fall into her state of mind. She’s eccentric, but—don’t let her pull you in.”

   Eli gave him a confident smile. “Not to worry, sir. I can handle it.”

\---

   Toujou’s office was located in a little spare room in the basement, hidden near a hallway that took Eli more than a few minutes to find. When she did, however, she entered a room quite unlike her own.

   Agent Toujou’s desk was strewn with papers and vanilla folders that piled up to dangerous heights. Sticky notes in bright colors were attached to the walls, the desk, cabinets, any space that still had room available. Memos, pictures, maps, and strange cards were all pinned to the walls, some with curly handwriting scrawled over them. It was the exact level of disaster that made Eli twitch.

   As for Agent Toujou herself, she seemed to fit right into all of her mess, like a missing piece. She was—and Eli wasn’t sure what the polite way to say this was, or if there even _was_ a polite way—considerably “top-heavy.” Eli wondered how much stress her blazer was really under. Otherwise, she appeared almost teenage, with a rounded face and waist-length violet hair, which was tied back in a ponytail. When she saw Eli, she broke into a mischievous smile.

   “Oh, are you the new agent Perdue sent to spy on me?” she asked. While Eli was rather taken aback, it seemed the Toujou was absolutely delighted by the prospect of befuddling her superiors.

   “No, not at all, I—“ she began, but Toujou cut her off.

   “It’s because I’m, ah… What was that… ‘eccentric?’” she said. “’Strange?’ Possibly, ‘a bit of a quack?’”

   “N—No,” Eli said, so far taken aback that she wasn’t entirely sure she had an answer. “That’s not it, I—I’m here—“

   “Don’t worry, I’m not mad,” she said. “You’re just doing your job. Plus, it might be fun to have a new partner. Sit down, Eli. Eli? Is it alright if I call you Eli?”

   At this point, Eli was so stunned it didn’t matter if Toujou called her Eli, or Ayase, or even “Dad,” she was already out of words. “I suppose that’s—“

   “Great!” Toujou said, then spun around once in her chair and planted her fists on the desk. “So, Eli, tell me about yourself.”  
   “Isn’t there work we should be doing?” Eli said, still a little shocked.

   “I just thought it would be nice to know my new partner,” Toujou said with a slight pout.

   “Well,” Eli said, “I’m a medical doctor, I graduated from John Hopkins University… I’ve been with the Bureau for three years now, specializing in forensics.”

   “Very nice, very nice,” Toujou said with a tone that implied she hadn’t really been listening. “Anyway, if it’s scientific work Perdue wants, it’s scientific work he’ll get. You came just at the right time, Eli; I’ve been able to reopen a case I’ve been working on for ages.”

   “What is it?” Eli asked, slightly intrigued.

   Toujou slapped another vanilla file down in front of her, this one labelled with a hot-pink sticky note that read “LAWRENCE DISAPPEARANCES” in Toujou’s curly writing. Eli squinted, and realized that she had dotted her “I’s” with little hearts.

   “A series of disappearances in Lawrence, Wisconsin,” she said. “The local authorities have written it up as animal attacks, but I don’t think that’s likely.”

   “Why not?” Eli said.

   “No evidence,” she said simply. “No blood, no reports of seeing an animal, no bodies found. I think they’re letting it drop a little too easily. Especially now that another disappearance occurred just last Friday.”

   “That… sounds reasonable,” Eli said after a moment of consideration. Although she’d been told Toujou tended to be irrational, her reasoning seemed pretty sound.

   “You don’t have to act so surprised, you know,” Toujou said with a smile, and Eli flushed a little.

   “Sorry,” she said. “That’s not at all what I meant—“

   “It’s alright,” Toujou said. “Here.” She handed Eli an envelope with a small piece of paper inside. “That’s your plane ticket for tomorrow morning, 9:24 sharp. We leave for Wisconsin first thing.

   “I—“ Eli stuttered, “Have you even cleared this with Perdue?!”  
   “We’re fine,” Toujou said, giving her a nonchalant wave of the hand. “I’ve already got a rental car and a hotel worked out. Don’t worry too much about it, alright?”  
   Eli was definitely going to worry. She was worrying _now,_ but there didn’t seem much point in arguing with Agent Toujou. “Alright,” she said. “If that’s all, I suppose I’ll be seeing you tomorrow morning.”

   Another mischievous smile played across Toujou’s face. “See you then.”

   Just as Eli was turning to leave, Toujou’s voice stopped her.

   “Oh, and Eli,” she said. “Don’t forget to feed Socks.”

                                                                                                                  


	2. Skeptic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You never really stop believing in fairy tales.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE EVERYBODY  
> This was a ride. Turn down your lights and put on some ocean sounds, because the Agents are about to enter a deep-sea mystery, right in the heart of rural Wisconsin...  
> Also, please read the notes at the end of the chapter!

  * _Special Agent Eli Ayase_



_Field Report, Case #10495x  
_

_11/2/15_

 

_There are two types of knowledge in this world. That which is held and seen, which can be touched, which we can know is there, on every level to which we can perceive reality. These are the physical things, the data, the numbers and facts that make up our world. But there is a deeper knowledge, one we cannot hold in our hands and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is there. It stems from stories woven by authors unknown, older than time, short, but priceless, whose lines have inspired worship and war, and stood the test of time to come to us now. And, in our rather flippant ignorance, we call them "myths."_

 

   Her conversation with Toujou had left Eli frustrated and confused that night, and she spent the twenty-minute drive back to her apartment fuming over how Toujou could _possibly_ have known she had a cat named Socks. Maybe she’d let it slip to someone in the office? She didn’t recall doing so, and even if she had, it seemed like an odd thing for anyone to tell Agent Toujou. To her further dismay, Eli discovered when she returned home that Socks was indeed out of food, and had to make a run to the convenience store down the street.

   All of that made sure that when Eli arrived in Wisconsin at 11:42 AM the next morning, she determined to figure out exactly what Toujou’s methods were.

   “Good morning!” Toujou said brightly as Eli stepped off the plane. “I brought breakfast!”

   She held up two coffees and a small bag with “Georgia Bagels” stamped across the front. “I wasn’t sure how you take it, so there’s cream and sugar in the bag.”

   “Black is fine, thank you,” Eli said, and Toujou handed her the cup. “You—really didn’t have to do all this.”

   “It’s no trouble!” she insisted. “After all, you’re my new partner, and I did feel a bit guilty about the short notice yesterday.”

   Eli nodded, not entirely sure what to say, but she felt herself warm up the slightest degree towards Agent Toujou.

   “Anyway, the rental place is downstairs, I’ll fill you in on the way,” Toujou continued, and they set off through the airport.

   “Perdue made me close this case up last year,” Toujou was saying, “he said it was too old and no longer worth looking into. But I don’t think it’s right to just let these people vanish, not without bringing some sort of answers!”

   “It’s unavoidable sometimes, I suppose,” Eli said. “The time isn’t right, the clues aren’t there, maybe there are cases that just aren’t meant to be solved.”

   “No such thing,” she said with a smile, but Eli could detect an edge of determination in her voice. Anyway, these disappearances are already a little out of the ordinary, but what’s really striking about them is their timing. Two every four years, for the past twenty years. Nine victims. I’m hoping we can catch whoever’s behind this before they find a tenth victim.”

   “Are there any leads on a motive?” Eli asked.

   “Well, that’s what makes this case so unusual,” she said. “There are no leads at all. All of the victims homes were found with the doors and windows locked, the lights out, and no signs of struggle; not even a TV or oven left on to imply that they left suddenly. It’s almost as though they just packed up and left, but nothing was reported missing, including valuables.”

   “Suspects?”

   “All the family checked out,” Toujou said. “All of the victims were unmarried, in their twenties, lived alone, no record. Nothing else to connect them, other than they were all male.”

   “Illnesses? Schools? Dates of birth?”

   “Perfect bills of health, nope and nope,” she said. “There’s nothing, Eli, I promise.”

   She gave her another smile, and Eli sipped at her coffee, subdued. For the time being.

…

   They arrived on the scene less than an hour later, where a police car was waiting for them in front of the building. As they stepped out, the driver’s side door opened, and a man in a sheriff’s uniform greeted them.

   “Agents Toujou and Ayase?” he asked, and they both showed him their badges. “Ah, great. My name is Sheriff John Redder, I was hopin’ y’all would get here soon.” He gave them kind of a funny look. “Aren’t y’all awfully Japanese for FBI Agents?”

   Eli was so utterly appalled that she couldn’t formulate an answer, while Nozomi seemed to be stifling laughter.

   “I can’t speak for Agent Toujou, but I was born in California to Japanese immigrants, and am a citizen of the United States,” she said stiffly. “Now, if my ethnicity is no longer an issue to you, I thought we had a crime to investigate here?”

   The officer looked a bit embarrassed—as he should be, Eli thought—and pointed to the door.

   “Yes ma’am,” he said. “Right through here.”

   He went through the open door, and Toujou followed him. Eli stood where she was.

   “Dick,” she muttered, and followed him and Agent Toujou into the apartment complex.

   Sheriff Redder led them up to an apartment on the fourth floor, which was blocked off and watched over by another officer. Eli and Toujou both flashed their badges before entering, and stepped inside.

   Just like Toujou had said, the apartment was in pristine condition. Well, maybe not pristine, Eli thought, noting the dirty dishes in the sink and papers coating the table, but there was certainly no sign of a struggle.

   “Has anyone checked for prints?” Eli asked, examining the counter.

   “Yes ma’am, already on it,” Sheriff Redder said. “Nothing turned up but the victims, even on the doorknob.”

    “Eli, come have a look at this,” Toujou’s voice said. She was standing by the kitchen table, looking down at a scrap of paper.

    “What is it?” Eli asked.

   She pointed at the paper. “Looks like they left in a hurry.”

   There was a half-scribbled note and a pen with the cap off lying next to a phone.

_Marshall’s Painting Co._

_241-423-6466_

   “Do you think it means something?” Eli asked.

   “Don’t know yet,” she said. As Eli turned away, she noticed Toujou make a quick move, then walk away. When she turned back to look, the pen that had been sitting on the table was gone.

   Eli had been shocked by Toujou’s flippant behavior previously, but it was nothing compared to what she felt now. Getting a kick out of irritating your boss was one thing, but stealing crime scene evidence? That was an _immediate_ dismissal, if not a felony and potential lawsuit. The consequences were staggering, and more than anything, left Eli wondering why Toujou would risk her entire career over a plastic pen.

   “Well, thank you Sheriff, but I think we’ve seen all we need to,” Toujou said. Eli attempted to sputter an interruption, but was immediately overruled. “Hopefully, we’ll have a lead for you tomorrow. In the meantime, make sure that absolutely _nothing_ leaves this crime scene, not even a gum wrapper.”

   “Yes ma’am,” he said. “Thank y’all again, we’re looking forward to seeing what you come up with.”

   Toujou nodded, and left the apartment with Eli on her heels.

   “What the _hell,”_ she said, “was that about?! We weren’t there five minutes!”

   “I think I’ve got an idea as to what’s going on here,” Toujou said. “Remember that number that was written down?”

   “The one for the paint company?”

   “That’s the one,” she said. “Can you go check them out? You can take the car.”

   “And what are you going to do?”

   She flashed Eli another one of her smiles. “I have a lead of my own to check out.”

   Eli was not even CLOSE to believing that, but Agent Toujou didn’t seem worth arguing with, and she let her take off without another word.

   Despite how utterly appalled Eli still was with Toujou, she figured that it might be a good thing to let her go off by herself; the good lord knows that she wasn’t doing her any good here. With Toujou off her back, Eli decided to go back to the crime scene.

   “I thought y’all had left,” Sheriff Redder said when Eli re-entered the apartment.

   “Agent Toujou has gone to check out a lead,” Eli said with an attempt at a smile. “I wanted to take another look around.”

   She went back over to the notepad on the table. “Has this been dusted?”

   “Yes ma’am,” he said. “Nothing but the victim’s prints.”

   “Do you know anything about the company?”

   “Marshall’s?” he asked. “Nothin’ much other than that they’ve been around here forever. Met the owner once or twice, decent fella.”

   “Would you happen to know the address?” Eli asked.

   Sheriff Redder frowned. “Y’all suspect Marshall might have had something to do with this?”

   “Not necessarily, but it looks like he was the last person the victim had contact with before he disappeared,” she said. “Maybe he heard something.”

   “Well, his building’s down on Cape Street, right in the middle of downtown,” he said. “Just take a left out of here and it’ll be on your right.”

   “Thank you, Sheriff,” she said. “We’ll let you know as soon as we find something.”

   “Much appreciated, ma’am.”

\--

   Marshall’s Painting Company was a rather dumpy (albeit, well-painted) building in the middle of a small downtown, nestled snugly between a barber and a florist’s shop, cheekily named “Where the Sun(flower) Don’t Shine.” It must have been a slow day, because when Eli entered, there was no one in the store, let alone at the counter.

   “Hello?” she said. There was no answer. “Hello?” she said, a little louder this time.

   There was a bang from the stockroom behind the counter, and a man in his forties came stumbling out into the storefront. He was balding and overweight, with a thick moustache and wire-rimmed glasses.

   “Sorry about that,” he said, and Eli noticed he had a thick New York accent. “What can I do for ya?”

   “My name is Special Agent Eli Ayase, I’m here investigating the disappearance of Morris Stark,” she said, holding up her badge. “I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

   “Ayase, huh?” he asked. “Pretty Japanese for an FBI agent.”

   There was a moment in which Eli felt her demeanor slip, and for a split-second, she considered putting Mr. Marshall under arrest purely out of spite, but she managed to retain a grip on herself.

   “My mother was Japanese,” she said in a voice of forced calm. “You’re welcome to take a closer look at my badge, if that’s really what you need.”

   “Nah, I believe you,” he said. “What’d you say? Something about a disappearance?”

   “Yes,” Eli said, relieved that they were back on the subject of the case. “A man named Morris Stark disappeared recently, and it appears that you or someone at your company were the last ones to have contact with him.”

   “Morris Stark…” he muttered. “Name sounds familiar. Lemme check.”

   He opened up a binder on the counter, and ran his finger down a list of names. “Yeah, I have him here down for a consultation tomorrow. You say he’s gone missing?”

   “Yes, from his apartment not far from here,” she said. “Do you remember speaking with him Wednesday night?”

   “No ma’am, I’m sorry,” he said. “Wednesday was when Patricia was on duty, if a phone call went out, she was the one who made it.”

   “And where can I find Patricia?”

   He pointed to the door. “Well, you can start there.”

   Eli turned around, and felt herself gasp. A woman was opening the door to the shop; but she wasn’t like any woman Eli had ever seen. She was tall, like a model, with thick black hair that brushed her waist and dark eyes that sparkled like jewels from within her face. Her lips were full and pouted, painted a dark red-purple that brought out the bronze undertones in her tanned skin, like the color of seashells baking in the sun. Eli wondered what the hell she was doing working in a paint shop and not a modelling company.

   “Hello Marshall,” she said; her voice was hypnotizing. It made Eli’s vision blur and her mind go blank for a moment, and seemed to have the same effect on Marshall. “Just came for my paycheck.”

   Marshall robotically picked up an envelope and extended his arm to Patricia, who received it with immaculately-manicured nails. “Thank you, dear.”

   When she said the word “dear,” Eli thought for sure that Marshall was going to spontaneously combust, however, he did little more than stutter a line of syllables that might have resembled something close to “you’re welcome.” In the meantime, Patricia turned to Eli, whose knees immediately went weak.

   “And who are you?” she asked, not in a rude manner.

   “M-My name is S-S-Special Agent Eli Ayase,” Eli said, trying to keep herself together. She held up her badge, but her hand was shaking; “I’m here in-investigating the disappearance of Morris Stark.”

   “Oh, Morris disappeared?” Patricia said with such genuine concern, Eli felt almost a little moved by the scope of her sympathy. “That’s terrible! You know, I was just helping him repaint his mother’s house. Well—“ she laughed; “I wasn’t the one doing the repainting, but you know what I mean.”

   Eli nodded soundlessly, still utterly captivated by the woman in front of her. Patricia’s voice… she didn’t have any way to explain it. Eli didn’t normally think of people’s voices as “melodic,” but Patricia spoke in a way that sounded almost as though she were singing every word.

   “I’d better be on my way now,” she said. “Thank you, Marshall, I’ll see you Thursday.”

   She gave them another smile and left. It took a moment for Eli to regain full control over herself, and she heard Marshall say:

   “Quite something, isn’t she?”

   “She’s gorgeous,” Eli said breathlessly. She noticed Marshall giving her a funny look, and quickly cleared her throat. “Anyway, Mr. Marshall, thank you for your time. I’ll be back if I have any further questions.”

   “No problem,” he said, and Eli left the store.

   Maybe it was just a result of small-town stereotypes, but Eli didn’t feel like this was the best place to let it slip that she was a lesbian. These people hardly trusted the federal government, let alone _lesbians_ from the federal government. Japanese lesbians, even. _Truly terrifying…_ she thought.

   Now that Eli thought about it, no one at work knew about her sexuality either. Not as though it was exactly a frequent topic; one’s orientation is not necessarily an appropriate topic for casual conversation over coffee. But, she hoped that if anyone found out, it wouldn’t turn them off to her, especially Agent Toujou. She didn’t want _another_ reassignment.

   Eli pulled out her cellphone and dialed the contact number Toujou had given her. The phone rang for a second, then Agent Toujou’s voice answered;

   “Toujou,” she said.

   “It’s Ay—Eli,” she said. “I just finished up at Marshall’s. Where are you?”

   “Already on my way,” Toujou said. “Did you find anything?”

   “Nothing, except that Stark was on their calling list for a paint job at his mother’s house,” she said. “But that’s not really enough to conclude anything. What about you?”

   “I’ll let you know when I get there,” she said, and promptly hung up.

   Eli let out a sigh. Communication, it seemed, was not Agent Toujou’s strong point.

   Toujou pulled up less than a minute later, and Eli opened the passenger side door. “Where have you been?” she asked.

   “Following up a hunch,” she said and handed Eli a stack of papers. “Look at this. All the victims from the past twenty years, all male, unmarried, with no prior relationship history, all between twenty and thirty with no children and no outstanding health issues.”

   “What does that mean? There are lots of healthy, unmarried men in their twenties that don’t have any kids.”

   “It gives us a profile,” Toujou said. “Killer’s a woman, probably in her twenties, probably also unmarried. Has a real vendetta against men, that’s why she targets them.”

   “Wait, wait,” Eli said. “Killer? We don’t know if these men are dead yet.”

   “Oh, they’re dead,” she said. “Trust me.”

   “How do you know?”

   “I just do.”

   She said it so lightly and with such confidence that it made Eli twitch a little in her seat. If Toujou was withholding evidence on a crime, not only was she committing a federal crime, _but she was making Eli’s day a whole hell of a lot harder._ However, she bit her tongue and stared determinedly out the window. She didn’t know how she was going to do it, but Eli promised herself that before this case was over, she was going to find out just what Agent Toujou tick.

\--

   That night, Eli sat in her hotel room, picking through the case file. She wondered if Agent Toujou had a point with any of her findings; although all the victims being young and unmarried seemed irrelevant, maybe there was something Eli had missed.

   The bathroom door opened, releasing a cloud of steam, and Toujou stepped out, wearing an undershirt and a pair of running shorts. The thin material of the undershirt didn’t cover a whole lot of Agent Toujou’s chest, and Eli buried her face back into the case files. That was _not_ a distraction that she needed right now.

   “Did you find anything?” Toujou asked, crawling onto one of the queen-sized beds.

   “Uh, no, not yet,” she said hurriedly. “I’m going to keep looking—“

   “Have you checked their employers yet?”

   “Huh?” Eli looked up at Toujou, who was now thankfully under a thick comforter. “No, why?”

   “I just thought it might be important,” she said casually. “You should check.”

   Eli frowned, but decided to give it another check. “… they were all in food service,” she said. “Very upscale restaurants, too… one was a waiter, four were chefs… but what does that mean?”

   Toujou shrugged. “Maybe they just know the value of a good meal.”

   Something in her voice suggested to Eli that Toujou maybe knew a little more, but she didn’t want to push it; but, it reminded her of what had happened at the crime scene earlier that day.

   “Toujou,” she said, and the other agent looked up. “Earlier today, when we were are the apartment… I noticed that you slipped a pen from the crime scene into your pocket. While I want to believe you have your reasons, what on _earth_ possessed you to steal? You could be arrested for that, this whole case could blow to pieces.”

   Touhou looked genuinely confused. “What are you talking about, Eli?”

   “You took a pen,” Eli said firmly. “Today, in Stark’s apartment, I saw you do it.”

   She gave her a smile. “Ah, Eli, I think the stress is getting to you. You’re seeing things.”

   Eli sputtered a protest, but Agent Toujou didn’t even blink. “Why don’t you get some rest?” she said. “You’ve been working awfully hard. We can pick this up in the morning.”

   She smiled at her again, then pulled the covers up further over her head and lay down. For a moment, Eli was too stunned to move; then, she slammed the case file shut, and went right to bed without so much as stopping to take off her clothes.

\--

   The next morning, Toujou insisted on going back to the crime scene, although Eli didn’t know why; last time, she’d left in such a hurry, Eli thought she considered it of no value at all. But, Toujou was persistent, and when they returned to the apartment, no one was there.

   “Where do you think the sheriff is?” Eli asked, looking around. “Shouldn’t there be someone here keeping watch?”

   Toujou shrugged. “Maybe not.”

   The inside of the apartment was the same as they had left it the other day. While Toujou barged into the kitchen, Eli took her time inspecting the door.

   “I’m still not sure what you expect to find, agent,” she said. “There’s no sign of forced entry whatsoever—“

   She was interrupted by the sound of a refrigerator door opening. Eli looked up, and Toujou was rummaging around the victims leftovers.

   “What… what are you doing?” she asked.

   Toujou held up a Styrofoam box. “Hungry, Eli?”

   Eli stood up; “Alright,” she said. “I get it, you’re no conventional agent. But you _cannot_ raid the victim’s fridge unless you think there might be evidence in there.”

   “Oh, the evidence isn’t in here,” she said. “I was just curious.” Toujou pointed to a cupboard above the stove. “The evidence is in there.”  
   Eli frowned. “The evidence… is in the spice cabinet?”

   “Actually, it’s what _not’s_ in the spice cabinet, but you’re close enough,” she said. She whisked over to the cupboards and threw open the door; it was totally empty, sans a few bottles of salt and pepper. “See?”

   “… I see an empty spice cupboard,” Eli said. “What does this have to do with anything?”

   “Morris Stark was a _chef!”_ Toujou exclaimed as though it were obvious. “A chef at a five star restaurant, no less! Do you really think that he had _no_ spices?”

   “Maybe he doesn’t cook at home.”

   Toujou peered inside the cabinet. “Look,” she said. “Rings in the dust. There were things in here, and a lot of them.”

   Eli peered inside as well; there were signs that something had previously occupied the cabinet, but she still wasn’t sure what Agent Toujou was trying to get at. “So maybe he ran out.”

   “Of all of them at once?”

   “What are you trying to get at here, agent?”

   “Whoever kidnapped this man took his spices!” Toujou said. “And I bet if we were able to look back at the other cases, we would find the exact same thing.”

   “Why the HELL would someone take spices?”

   Agent Toujou looked at her curiously. “Maybe they also know the value of a good meal.”

   For a second, Eli stared at her, absolutely clueless. Then, her stomach turned as she realized what Toujou was getting at.

   “You’re—You’re not suggesting…” she stuttered.

   “That the kidnapper eats her victims?” Toujou said. “That’s _exactly_ what I’m suggesting.”

   That sealed it for Eli—Toujou was absolutely _insane._ “A-Alright,” she said. “Supposing that this is even _remotely_ plausible, which it’s not, don’t you think it’s a bit of a leap to jump from missing spices to cannibalism?!”

   “Why wouldn’t it be plausible?”

   “Well, for starters, the case rate for cannibalism is _incredibly_ low,” she said. “I mean, it’s a one-in-a-million chance, it’s just—it’s virtually _impossible—“_

“Virtually, maybe,” Toujou said firmly. “But not _completely_ impossible.”

   “And to conclude all this from missing _spices?!”_ Eli continued. “Toujou, it’s _obscene!”_

   Toujou stared at her for a moment, then shut the cabinet doors with a slam. “I’ll prove it to you,” she said. “Come on. I want to pay another visit to Mr. Marshall.”

\--

   Tact was not on Agent Toujou’s mind as she strode through the doors to Marshall’s paint shop with Eli close behind her. Marshall was sitting behind the counter and looked up when they came in.

   “Agent Ayase,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting to see you again.” He looked at Nozomi. “Is this your partner?”

   “My name is Agent Toujou,” she said briskly. “Yes, I’m Agent Ayase’s partner. Are you Marshall Hanes?”

   “Yes ma’am, that’s me.”

   “Mr. Hanes, do you keep a record of all your former customers?”

   He frowned. “Am I in trouble for something?”

   Toujou smiled encouragingly at him. “Not at all, Mr. Hanes. I’d just like to take a look at your records.”

   “Right through here,” he mumbled, and Eli couldn’t help but be slightly impressed by Toujou’s subtle powers of influence.

   “All the files for the customers are in this cabinet,” he said, leading them into the store room behind the counter. “I’m not much one for computers.”

   “Thank you,” Toujou said. “We won’t be more than a few minutes.”

   Marshall grunted a response, and left. Meanwhile, Toujou opened the first drawer of the filing cabinet, and began piecing through the folders.

   “What exactly are you hoping to find?” Eli asked her.

   "Mr. Stark was a customer here," she said. "I have a feeling that we'll find the others here too."

   "Are you suggesting Marshall is responsible for these disappearances?" Eli said.

   "No, I don't think it's him," she muttered, with her nose still buried in files. "Like I said, the killer's a woman. It's someone who works for him."

   "We still don't know if Stark is dead," Eli said, somewhat affronted.

   "They're dead," Toujou said firmly. "Dead and gone, Agent Ayase... and here it is."

   She handed Eli a file labelled "Johnson, Hank," the second latest victim. "It says that he called in an order just a few days before he disappeared... you might be on to something, Toujou. But are you sure it's not Marshall?"

   "Positive," she said. "Not a woman, no motive. Besides, it doesn't say that he handled the request."

   "Who did?"

   "Don't know. I can't read the signature. Initials are PD."

   "PD..." Eli murmured as Toujou pulled open another file cabinet.

   "Eli," she said. "Employee files."

   She rushed over to kneel down beside her, and Toujou was already rifling through papers. "Abyste, Alco, Brandon, Cauffman, Colara... Doyle." She held up a file. "Patricia Doyle."

   Eli had to resist grabbing the paper out of Toujou's hand. "Wait," she said. "It can't be, I just saw that woman yesterday. She couldn't have been more than 25."

   "Really?" Toujou asked. "Because it says here that she's been working for the company since the first disappearances twenty years ago. She has to be at least in her late thirties."

   Somehow, Toujou didn't seem too surprised by this news. "I can't believe this," Eli said. "She looks exactly the same."

   "Maybe she doesn't age..." she mused. "Says she was born in Albany, New York in 1975, making her about fourty now."

   "I--I don't understand..." Eli sputtered.

   "I think I do," Toujou said. She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of Patricia Doyle's file. "Come on, let's get back to the car."

   She stood up and Eli followed her. Marshall caught them as they were coming out;

   "Are you all through?" he asked.

   "Yes, thank you Mr. Hanes," Toujou said. "We'll contact you if we need anything else."

   He nodded, and they left. When they got in the car, Eli turned to her partner and said:

   "So what exactly is it that you think is going on?"

   "I think Patricia Doyle's the heart of this case..." she said. "And I think we need to give the Albany records archive a call."

   Eli frowned as Toujou pulled out her phone again, and dialed a number. She placed it speaker, and Eli heard a woman's voice answer:

   "Albany Department of Records, can I help you,?"

   "This is Special Agent Nozomi Toujou with the Federal Bureau of Investigation," she said. "My badge number is 420-54443-677, I need to pull the records of one of your former residents."

   "Alright Agent Toujou, go ahead."

   "Thank you. I'm looking for your records on Patricia Doyle, born 1975."

   "Patricia Doyle..." the woman said. "Yes, Patricia Marie Doyle, born May 3rd, 1975. Disappeared on June 16, 1984. The case was closed a few years later.”

   Eli’s mouth fell open a little, and she exchanged quick looks with Toujou, who continued to look unmoved by these new developments. “Is—Are you positive that’s the only Patricia Doyle you have on record for 1975?”

   “Yes, I’m sure.”

   “Alright,” Eli said, still stunned. “Thank you.”

   She hung up the phone and turned to Toujou. “What the HELL does this mean?”

   Toujou gave her a mysteriously knowing look. “It means we need to pay a visit to Ms. Doyle.”

\--

   Patricia lived in a middle class apartment only about ten minutes from the paint shop. When Toujou and Eli knocked on the door, her delightfully melodic voice called from inside;

   “Coming!”

   “You know, Toujou,” Eli whispered as they waited for Patricia, “I really don’t think we have the right person. I’m pretty sure the records lady just made a mistake.”

   “I couldn’t disagree more,” Toujou said cheerfully, and before Eli had a chance to respond, the door opened and Patricia stood in the frame.

   “Oh, Agent Ayase!” she said, looking at Eli. “I remember you from the paint store yesterday.” She turned her gaze to Toujou. “And you must be her partner.

   Patricia was still as stunningly beautiful as she had been the day before, but Toujou seemed unaffected by her gaze. “Yes, I’m Special Agent Toujou. Ms. Doyle, is it alright if we ask you a few questions?”

   She frowned, and Eli’s heart seemed to break. “Oh, is this about Morris? Well, yes, come in.”

   She led them into her apartment, which smelled pleasantly like vanilla and cinnamon. It was warm, and the sweet smell was making Eli lightheaded. Toujou noticed this, and elbowed her slightly in the arm.

   “Look at that,” she whispered as Patricia was fussing with door. Toujou was pointing to the counter where there were several candy jars full of exotic-looking spices. “Awfully fancy for someone who lives on a small-town retail salary.”

   “You’re overthinking it,” Eli whispered back.

   “Agents, won’t you sit down?”

  Patricia’s voice called them from the living room, and they both followed it inside. Her apartment was sparse, but well-decorated, in an enjoyable nautical theme. There were seashells on the table, and pictures of the ocean on the walls.

   “Well, agents, what can I do for you?” she asked, taking a seat on the couch.

   Eli realized she still wasn’t able to fully form sentences around Patricia, and was grateful when Toujou took over.

   “We just had a few questions,” she said pleasantly. “Did you know Morris Stark, Ms. Doyle?”

   “Oh, you can just call me Patricia,” she said. “I didn’t know him personally, no. He was talking to Marshall about painting his mother’s house, the dear. It’s really shocking the he’s gone.”

   “Patricia,” Toujou said. “Over the past twenty years, there have been eight other disappearances like this. They also all happened to be customers of the shop where you work. Do you know anything about these cases?”

   She looked surprised. “You don’t think Marshall did it, do you?”

   “Not right now,” she said, still smiling.

   Patricia turned her hypnotizing gaze onto Eli, who froze. “Oh, Agent Ayase, do you think Marshall is responsible for the disappearance of those men?”

   Eli sputtered as she tried to think of a reply. “Well, I mean, it’s really t-too early to say, after all, I d-don’t—“

   “Hang on,” Toujou said. “Patricia, how did you know all the victims were male?”

   “Well, I remember of course!” she said. “In a small town like this, unexplained disappearances don’t happen just every day.”

   “Of course not,” Toujou said. “One more question, Patricia—are you single? Have you ever been married?”

   Patricia looked taken aback, and Eli quickly tried to step in.

   “Y—You don’t have to answer that,” she said. “I m-mean that’s personal—“

   “No, it’s alright,” she said suspiciously, not taking her eyes off Agent Toujou. “No, I’ve never been married. I’m not in a relationship either.”

   “In that case, Ms. Doyle—Patricia,” Toujou said. “That’ll be all.”

   They got up to leave, but Patricia stopped them.

   “Agent Ayase,” she said sweetly. “Won’t you stop by the store tomorrow if you have more questions? I’ll be working all day.”

   Eli’s heart thudded fiercely against her ribcage. “O-Of course,” she said absentmindedly, and stared at Patricia until Toujou dragged her out the apartment door.

   “Alright, Casanova, how about you take it down a notch?” Toujou said with a slight smile as they waited for the elevator.

   “W—What?!” Eli said, but she could feel herself reddening. “She’s a _suspect—_ and I mean, I—I—!”

   “Am not doing a very good job of hiding it,” she said knowingly. “Not that I blame you. She is gorgeous. But don’t trust her, Eli. She’s hiding something.”

   “You—but—but—“ Eli heaved a sigh, and stared at the floor. “You won’t tell anyone, will you?”

   “About what?”

   “About me?”

   Toujou gave her a small smile. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

   Eli felt a weight fall off her shoulders, and almost smiled. “Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate it. But what is it you think that Patricia’s hiding?”

   “First of all, that she’s the killer,” Toujou said flatly. “But that’s not her biggest secret.”

   Eli frowned. “Then what is?”

   The elevator doors dinged open, and Toujou hesitated. She didn’t speak again until they entered the car, and she turned to Eli, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

   “Eli, how are you on your Greek myths?”

   “Not bad, I suppose. I’m not history major, but I can tell Zeus from Apollo and all of that. Why?”

   “Have you ever heard of the Sirens?”

   Eli thought for a moment. “The Sirens…” she said. “Weren’t those the mermaids that lured men to their death? I remember them in the Odyssey.”

   “Well, interestingly enough, they were never depicted as mermaids,” Toujou said. “In fact, the earliest depictions we have of sirens shows them as half-human, half-bird. The mermaid idea must have come later.”

   “Alright then, I suppose I’m no Greek expert. What’s your point?”

   Toujou paused, watching Eli somewhat thoughtfully. “Do you think they’d go for women?”

   Eli’s instinct was to laugh, but she quickly realized the Toujou was serious. “I don’t know,” she said. “If they were real, I suppose, you’d have to ask them.”

   “But they are,” Toujou said, with just the slightest hint of a smile playing back onto her face. “And if Patricia’s intentions are what I think they are, then you may be the very first lady victim of a bisexual siren.”

   Eli stared at Toujou like she’d grown a third eye; she readjusted herself in her seat, then placed both hands on the seat, so she was looking Toujou in the eye. “… Am I mishearing you,” she said. “Or are you actually—like, in all seriousness—suggesting that Patricia Doyle is a _siren?”_

“Yes,” Toujou said as though this were obvious. “Look at the evidence, Eli—no birth record, other than one of a missing eight-year-old girl, an impossibly beautiful women with the power to throw you completely off topic—hypnotize you, practically—a kitchen full of expensive spices, despite working a low-wage job, by God, she even had a SEA-THEMED APARTMENT. She’s practically throwing it in our faces!”

   “Alright, alright,” Eli said, holding up her hands. “Even if any of this was _remotely_ plausible, it doesn’t explain why the victims disappeared without a trace, or why you were unaffected by it!”

   A strange smile overtook Toujou’s face. “Why I wasn’t affected by it?” she said. “Well, it sounds like you’re presuming that I, too, am a lesbian.”

   “I—I didn’t mean—“ she sputtered, but Toujou was laughing.

   “Don’t worry, you’re not wrong,” she said. “But look.”

   She reached up, and out of each ear, pulled a tiny earbud. Eli had noticed earlier that Toujou was wearing her hair down, but hadn’t thought much of it.

   “I’ve been drowning her out with this,” she said. “Not music, just static. It’s worked wonders.”

   “What about the other victims, then?”

   “Like I said, she has the power to hypnotize with her voice,” Toujou said. “She picks out young, single men from her work, because they’re easy targets. Then, she comes to their apartments under the guise of business—not terribly unusual in a small town like this, most likely—and convinces them to leave with her. She probably tells them she wants them to cook, too, which is how she gets the spices. Then, she gets them back to her apartment, and boom, instant take-out.”

   There was a moment of silence. Eli leaned back further into her seat, and exhaled deeply.

   “Agent Toujou…” she said. “You honestly expect me to believe that this woman is a mythological creature who lures men out of their apartments in order to cook them as a midnight snack?”

   “Not right away, but that’s the idea, yes.”                                                                                 

   “Okay then,” she said, clasping her hands together. “In almost thirty years of my life, including sixteen semesters of med school and four major relationships, _that_ is possibly the most ABSURD thing I’ve ever heard. And I’m including aliens.”

   Toujou shrugged, but she was still smiling. It didn’t seem as though Eli’s disagreement had upset her much. “Suit yourself, Eli,” she said. “I suppose you’ll have to find out the truth on your own.”

   “And I will,” Eli said stubbornly. “Tomorrow, I’m going to the paint store to talk to Patricia and set this thing straight.”

   For a moment, Eli swore that Toujou looked at her sympathetically. “You can’t always trust your head, Eli. Or your heart. Sometimes, you have to trust what you can’t see.”

\--

   The next day, Eli held good to her word, and was out of the hotel room before Agent Toujou had even woken up.

   _A siren,_ Eli thought to herself. _Honestly. Agent Toujou’s persuasive, I’ll give her that, but maybe Perdue’s right—she’s absolutely NUTS._

When she walked into the paint shop twenty minutes later, Patricia was sitting behind the counter. She smiled at Eli, whose innards immediately turned to sludge.

   “Agent Ayase!” she said. “I was hoping you’d come. Have you made any headway on your case?”

   “N-Not yet,” Eli stuttered. “Agent Toujou has a theory, but it’s a bit unconventional, you know. Nothing s-solid yet.”

   “That’s a shame,” she said with a genuine frown. “What does Agent Toujou think?”

   “I c-can’t tell you that,” Eli said apologetically—and she meant it. “It’s not something we can just go around saying.”

   “I understand,” Patricia said. Suddenly, she turned very serious, and threw a glance back at the room behind her. “Agent Ayase,” she said quietly, “did you have any reason to suspect Marshall?”

   Eli frowned. “Well, he’s definitely a potential suspect. Why?”

   She looked both ways, then urged Eli closer. “Well, yesterday, I really couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened. I came back here maybe an hour after you left to look around, and I found some e-mails you’ll want to see.”

   “Really?” Eli looked both ways. “This—isn’t a joke of some sort, is it?”

   Patricia looked genuinely offended, and Eli immediately groveled a little in her spot. “Of course not!” she said. “Agent Ayase, I wouldn’t lie to you. There’s some _really_ important info I want to show you regarding this case.”

   “I—I’m sorry,” Eli pleaded. “Any leads you have are welcome. I could use some help right now.”

   Her face softened considerably. “Thank you so much, Agent. Is Agent Toujou coming?”

   “Ah, no,” Eli said. “She’s, um—following some other leads.”

   “Alright,” Patricia said with a smile. She peaked into the back room. “Marshall! I’m taking my lunch break!”

   Marshall’s voice called back a response, and Patricia followed Eli out to her car.

   “Do you need help getting back to my apartment?” she asked.

   “I don’t think so,” Eli said. “Just let me know if I take a wrong turn.”

   When they opened the apartment door a few minutes later, Eli was enveloped into the warm, salty smell of Patricia’s apartment, and for a moment, forgot why she’d come; however, the sound of Patricia’s voice brought back to herself.

   “I have the papers locked up in a filing cabinet in my bedroom. Won’t you come in, Agent?”

   Eli complied, too hypnotized by Patricia’s lingering smile to do or say anything else. They walked into the bedroom, which was painted in cool neutrals, with hints of blues and soft corals peeking out from in between curtains and dresser drawers. Patricia knelt down next to a little safe in the corner and began twisting the dial.

   “I can’t even tell you how surprised I was…” she said quietly. “I’ve worked for Marshall for twenty years, and I’d have NEVER guessed it about him…”

   “Sometimes the people that we look up to the most are the ones who are capable of the worst things…” Eli said.

   Patricia sighed. “You’re right. But I was hoping it wouldn’t put me out of a job!”

   They both laughed gently, and Patricia stood up with the papers in her hand. “Won’t you come into the kitchen and sit down?”

   Eli followed her into the little kitchen, where she sat at the table. Patricia placed the papers about a foot in front of her, but Eli wasn’t even remotely interested now.

   “You know,” Patricia mused, “I should cook for you sometime. I’ve been told I have some real talent.”

   “Really?” Eli asked, star-struck. “That would be… I’d love that. I can’t cook to save my life, I usually end up eating take-out…”

   “Oh, I’d make you a great meal…” she said. Her delicate fingers brushed against the jars of expensive spices, her golden bangles just barely dragging along the marble countertop. “Saffron, Cardamom, Cloves… I know it’s a long way from D.C., but you should stay for dinner, Agent.”

   “Y-You can just call me Eli,” she said quickly. “’Agent’ is a bit formal.”

   “Eli?” she said. “That’s an unusual name. Is it short for anything?”

   “Ah, no,” Eli said. “My parents are Japanese immigrants—I’m Russian on my grandmother’s side.”

   “That’s interesting. What brought you to—ow!”

   She quickly drew her hand back, which was bleeding a bit. One of the cans she had touched was partially open, and she’d sliced her finger on the metal.

   “I’m a medical doctor!” Eli practically shouted, leaping out of her seat. “L-Let me take a look at it, please—“

   “It’s only a little scratch, Eli,” Patricia said, slightly amused. “I think you’re making a little bit of a big deal.”

   “I—I’ll feel better if I look at it,” she said, and Patricia extended her hand; it was really just a little cut. Eli felt a bit foolish for making such a scene. “At least put a bandage—“

   She looked up, and found that Patricia was closer to her than she had thought. Much, much closer.”

   “What is it, Eli?” she asked softly.

   Almost instantly, Eli felt her insides shrivel up and disappear, and her legs turn to rubber, just as she had when she’d first met Patricia. Nothing mattered, not right now. Not the murders, not Agent Toujou, no one. Just herself and Patricia.

   “I think you need some time off, Agent,” Patricia said, and slowly, almost against her will, Eli leaned in.

   Her mind was a blur and her mouth was dry, her heart not so much beating as humming in her chest, but something was still very, very wrong. The closer they got, the more Patricia seemed to change; her beauty was fading, her eyes yellowing, and her jaw stretched wider than Eli thought possible. Instead of straight, white teeth, her mouth resembled that of an angler’s, with hundreds of needle-like teeth poking out, flaked with blood and bits of flesh—

   Eli screamed, too horrified to look away. Patricia—or the monster who inhabited her body—came close enough for Eli to smell the rotting meat on her breath, and she was sure this was the end.

    _BANG!_

A single gunshot echoed from across the room and Patricia suddenly crumpled. Eli threw herself backwards so forcefully that she nearly flew over the table; when she had gathered her wits together, she twisted around to see Agent Toujou standing in the doorway with her gun still drawn.

   “What?” she said; her voice was cracked. “What happened? What the hell happened?”

    Toujou didn’t answer, but she walked over to where Patricia’s body was lying on the floor. Instead of a monster, she looked exactly like the beautiful woman Eli had seen less than two minutes ago.

   “Still don’t believe in sirens?” she asked, somewhat jokingly.

   Eli was far too deep in shock to answer. “Sorry,” Toujou said. “Here.”

   She handed Eli her coat, which she quickly wrapped around herself. “Was I hallucinating?” she whispered.

   “I don’t think so,” Toujou said. She walked over to the fridge door and from inside, pulled out a bag of what was beyond a doubt, a chunk of human flesh. “But I think we do have our killer, at least.”

   “I don’t—I don’t _understand,”_ Eli gasped. “I saw—I saw her—she—“

   “Had big teeth?” Toujou asked; she held her fingers up to her eyes, stretching them. “Eyes like this?”

   “Yeah—“

   “Classic siren,” she said. She looked back at Eli, who was still shaking violently. “Eli, she said. “Sit down. You’re in shock. I’ll call the police.”

   Eli nodded, and sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. “But—how did you know?”

   Toujou looked away from her cellphone, and gave Eli a rather pitying smile. “I guess I just have a really, really good eye.”

 

 

_But what separates myth and reality? A myth by definition is simply a holy story. And we throw this away so quickly, without heed to what makes these stories holy. Are they based in truth? Or are they just the ramblings of a lesser civilization, desperate to explain that which they do not understand?  
I am, by nature, a skeptic. I am not inclined to trust what I cannot see with my own eyes or hold in my hands. I cannot say for sure what happened here; I know that I saw something I can't explain, and I know that it bothers me._

_And in light of that, I know that I will continue to search for the truth._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: Do y'all prefer the chapters to be uploaded in a big chunk like this, one at a time, or in parts, maybe 2 or three depending on the chpater? That would mean more frequent uploads, but less content.


	3. Prometheus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something's wrong. Eli just can't put her finger on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY  
> I DIDN'T MEAN FOR IT TO TAKE THIS LONG HOLY SHIT  
> but thank you all for your patience  
> Hopefully, the next chapter or two will be up MUCH faster because I already have them all outlined, I just need to write them. In the meantime, y'all stick with me here, I'm chugging along.  
> Shoutout to spring break for saving my ass  
> Side note: my science may not be 100% accurate here. I apologize. Unfortunately, when dealing with made-up things, sometimes you need made-up science.  
> But I'm serious about the mitochondria thing.

_I have always trusted a higher authority. Be it my parents, the police and governments, or the gods themselves, I have put my faith in a force greater than my own. But sometimes, I am forced to question this faith. When those above me sanction what I believe--what I know--to be wrong. I find myself at the crossroads of what is right, and what is just. They do not always lead to the same place._

 

   “So… if I’m reading this right, Agent Toujou, you want me to understand that this woman—Patricia Doyle—was a siren who lured her victims out of their apartments using only her voice?”

   “Well, not right away maybe, but that’s the idea.”

   Eli and Agent Toujou were sitting in Assistant Director Perdue’s office, in what Eli hoped was the final minutes of the longest meeting of her life.

   “And what do you say to this, Agent Ayase?” Perdue turned to her expectantly, like she had some sort of Rosetta stone that would translate the fairytale that Agent Toujou had just told him into real-people logic.

   “I won’t deny that the Doyle had a way with words,” she said. “Or that she was very good-looking. I think it’s entirely possible she could have lured her victims out of the apartment, but I can’t really say I believe she was a siren.”

   “I see,” Perdue said in voice that signified that he absolutely did _not_ see. “And she attacked you?”

   “Yes sir. That’s what lead Agent Toujou to fire.”

   “Very well then, agents,” he said, shuffling the reports and putting them into his drawer, “Toujou, Ayase, you’re both cleared of any possible manslaughter charges, but from now on, it’s not me you’ll have to convince.”

   Even Toujou looked surprised by this. “I’ve received orders to transfer you both under A.D. Maki Nishikino. You’ll be reporting to her from now on.”

   “Is there any reason for this, sir?” Eli asked.

   “I wasn’t given one,” he said. “But, if I had to offer you a piece of advice, Agent, I wouldn’t question it. This came from much further up than me.”

   Eli frowned, and even Toujou looked skeptical. “Why the sudden change?” Eli asked.

   “There is someone much higher than me who wants to keep an eye on you two,” he said. “Especially you, Agent Toujou. I would keep a low profile if I were you two.”

   “Yes, sir,” the both responded automatically. A little flicker of worry arose in Eli’s mind; what was going on? Why were they being transferred so suddenly? Why was this all happening so fast, let alone to _her?_

_I’ve been a good agent,_ she thought. _Kept my nose clean, did my job. What’s happening?_

“In the meantime, I suggest you two go pay Director Nishikino a visit and introduce yourselves,” he said. “You’ll want to stay on her good side.”

   They both nodded, and Toujou left the room. As Eli headed towards the door, she heard Perdue say:

   “Agent Ayase.”

   She turned around. “Sir?”

   “Off the record,” he said, “I want you to know that if you ever need help, I’ll still be here to support you. You’re a good agent, Ayase, I don’t want to see you get dragged down over Toujou.”

   Eli nodded quietly. “Thank you, Director Perdue. I appreciate it.”

   “Of course, agent.”

   She left the office, and Toujou was waiting for her outside.

   “What did Perdue want?” she asked as they walked towards Nishikino’s office.

   “Just to thank me for doing a good job,” Eli said. Something told her Toujou knew she was lying.

   “That was good of him,” she said.

   Eli nodded absently, lost in thought. Why was she being thrown around the department like this? She wondered if Nozomi had bigger secrets than slipping a few pieces of evidence; perhaps she’d gotten more than she’d bargained for.

   They walked into Assistant Director Nishikino’s office, where her secretary stood up to meet them.

   “Agents Ayase and Toujou,” Eli said. “We’re supposed to meet with A.D. Nishikino.”

   “Go in,” she said, waving them in.

   Eli opened the frosted glass door and was immediately pummeled with the smell of flowery perfume. When she returned to her senses, the first person she saw wasn’t Nishikino, but a woman leaning against the table on the other side of the room. Eli had never seen her before; she had shiny black hair past her shoulders that was pulled into low twin tails, and a youthful face. For a moment, Eli thought she was smoking, but a second look revealed that she was chewing on the end of a Pocky stick; Pocky was a popular Japanese snack, a thin biscuit dipped in chocolate. Eli remembered eating it as a child.

   Nishikino and the woman had been talking quietly, but stopped when Eli and Toujou walked in. The twin-tail woman looked to Nishikino, who nodded, and left through a door in the back of the office, but not before meeting Eli’s eyes. Her glance made Eli shiver; her irises were a piercing red, like an albino rat, and there was something about her that told Eli this woman was much more powerful than she appeared.

   “Agents, welcome,” Nishikino said with a smile. She was younger than Eli and Nozomi, with flaming red hair and clever eyes. Nishikino had been another superstar agent, which was what landed her the A.D. position so early. Eli would have been lying if she said she wasn’t a little jealous.

   “Director Nishikino,” Eli said, shaking hands.

   They both sat down, and Nishikino leaned forward on her desk a little. “I have to apologize to you, Agent Ayase, I know you’ve been thrown around quite a lot in this past week. Rest assured, this should be the end of it.”

   “Thank you,” Eli said a bit stiffly.

   “Agent Toujou, I hope you and Ayase are able to work together well,” she continued with a stern look at Toujou. “I think you two will make a good team.”

   “I have no doubt about it,” Toujou said, her pleasant smile not so much as twitching.

   Nishikino gave her a rather skeptical look, but didn’t say anything. “Anyway, agents, that should be all, unless you have any questions for me.”

   “No,” Eli said. “Thank you, Director Nishikino.”

   She nodded, and Eli and Toujou left the room. As the headed out into the hallway, Toujou turned to Eli;

   “I didn’t see _that_ coming,” she said, repressing a laugh.

   Eli wondered what was so funny. “I don’t think either of us did.” She thought for a moment; “That woman who was in there, with the black hair—who was she?”

   Toujou shrugged. “I’ve never seen her before; she’s probably another Washington bigwig. Weird eyes, though. She’s making me crave Pocky.”

   Eli remembered suddenly that Toujou had grown up in Japan. “You like Pocky?” she asked, a little more startled than she had intended.

   “I ate it every day as a kid,” Toujou said. “I still keep a box in my desk for when I need a little pick-me-up during the day.”

   “I loved it,” Eli said. “Chocolate’s my favorite food. I haven’t had Pocky in years, though.”

   Toujou gave her a rather curious look. “Do you want some?”

   “I… suppose I wouldn’t say no.”

\--

   Eli nibbled on the chocolate end of the biscuit stick while Toujou pulled out a file from her drawer.

   “Somerville, Massachusetts,” she said, opening up the folder. “Six deaths over the past three months, all from seemingly related circumstances.”

   “And what are those?”

   “Heart failure, diabetes, stroke,” she said. “Extremely normal things.”

   Eli frowned. “And what’s so strange about that?”

   “The victims all range from the age of 18 to 27,” Toujou said, handing her a picture of a young man. He was laying on a table, his eyes closed and the rest of his body covered with a sheet. “All in extremely healthy condition, no history of medical conditions, healthy body weight, everything is in line.”

   She pieced through the folder. “I still don’t see where you’re going with this.”

   “They’re _young,_ Eli,” Agent Toujou exasperated. “All healthy and dying of conditions not normally seen in people their age. Take a closer look at the man on the table. How old would you say he is?”

   Eli squinted at the photograph. The man in picture was maybe in his early thirties; he had a few spurts of grey hair, but still looked in admirable shape.

   “Maybe thirty-four,” Eli said. “Thirty-five.”

   “Twenty-two,” Toujou said. “And already graying.”

   “Well, that doesn’t mean anything,” she said. “A lot of people grey early.”

   “But six people in the same town?” Toujou asked, pulling out more photos. “The same relatively SMALL town, all dying of similarly unusual causds?”

   “I’ll admit it’s strange,” Eli said. “But why are you so interested in this case?”

   “Since the 1970’s, there have been rumors of aliens—“

   “Oh, no,” Eli said, holding up a hand. Toujou looked rather put-out. “No aliens. Sirens, maybe, but I draw the line at aliens.”

   Toujou sighed. “Eli, please? If we don’t have something by Friday, we’ll head home.”

   “Fine,” Eli said. “But no aliens.

   “… Maybe.”

\--

   The next morning, Eli parked a 2007 sedan in front of a small house on the outskirts of Somerville, Massachusetts. Agent Toujou stepped outside, and looked at something on her phone.

   “Mrs. Renee Delaney, mother of a Thomas Delaney who was the last victim, just a few days ago,” she said. “Found her son dead in his room after football practice. He was eighteen, great athlete, dual enrollment, apparently a perfect child.”

   “Somehow, I don’t believe there are any teenage boys in the world that would qualify as ‘perfect children,’” Eli said somewhat grimly. “But I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt.”

\--

   Mrs. Delaney was a somewhat frazzled-looking woman in her forties, who wore her hair in a tight bun. She looked surprised when Eli pulled out her badge.

   “Good morning, Mrs. Delaney,” she said. “I’m Special Agent Eli Ayase, and this is my partner, Special Agent Nozomi Toujou. We’d like to talk to you about your son.”

   She barely concealed a grimace. “About what?” she asked. “He died of heart failure. I thought this was closed.”

   “We’d like to take a closer look,” Eli said.

   Mrs. Delaney’s eyes narrowed. “Are you suggesting Thomas was murdered?”

   Eli began to say something, but Toujou cut her off. “We have some concerns with the hospital, we’d just like to polish up a few details with you. I promise it won’t take more than a few minutes.”

   Mrs. Delaney nodded, and let them in; meanwhile, Eli gaped at Toujou, mostly impressed at her ability to lie so easily. _Especially_ to a client.

   They were led into the living room; Eli and Toujou both took a seat on the plastic-covered couch, which crinkled a little beneath them.

   “Would either of you care for something to drink?” Mrs. Delaney asked, somewhat stiffly.

   “No, thank you,” Toujou said, and Eli shook her head in agreement.

   “Well then,” she said, sitting on the couch. “What exactly can I do for you?”

   “First, we’d like to ask for your permission to reexamine your son’s body,” Agent Toujou said. “I know the burial is in two days, but I assure you that we can be in and out well within that time.”

   Eli bit her tongue a little at Agent Toujou’s choice of metaphors. “I’m sorry, but I really don’t understand,” Mrs. Delaney said. “Thomas died of heart failure, why do you need to do an additional autopsy?”

   “Mrs. Delaney, did you ever know your son to have any additional health issues?” Eli asked. “Or even a family history of anything?”

   “Well, there’s been a family history of heart disease, but Thomas was nineteen years old,” she said. “He played football, he was in outstanding health. I’ve already told all of this to the police.”

   “I know, and I appreciate you going through all of this with us,” Toujou soothed. “I promise we’re almost done. Is there anything else that might help us with this case?”

   She thought for a moment. “Well, Thomas had been complaining of pain for a little while. I thought it was maybe because he was pushing himself too hard in sports. He said his joints hurt.”

   “When did this start?”

   “Just a few weeks after he started his senior year.”

   Toujou nodded sternly and stood up, making the couch crinkle again. “Alright, Mrs. Delaney,” she said. “Thank you. We’ll be in contact if we need anything else.”

   They shook hands and left. As they headed out to the car, Agent Toujou turned to Eli;

   “You take the car,” she said. “I have an idea I want to follow.”

   “And what’s that?”

   “I’ll tell you if I’m right,” she said with a slight smile. “In the meantime, would you mind doing that autopsy?”

   “Sure,” Eli said, deciding that this was not the battle she wanted to pick. “I’ll call you if I find something.”

   Toujou smiled. “Great.”

\--

   “Special Agent Eli Ayase performing the autopsy for case #59253,” Eli said as she adjusted the microphone. “The date is March 27th, time is 4:23 PM. Victim is white male, approximately eighteen years of age, medium built, appears healthy.”

   She peeled back the white sheet a little farther and continued her recording. “I’m going to make the first incision, lateral across the chest.”

   As Eli picked up the scalpel, she hesitated. “Note,” she said into the microphone. “Victim appears to have several gray hairs.” Her eyes travelled down the corpse’s shoulder and onto the spindly hands. “… As well as inflamed joints. I’m going to take some additional scans.”

   She started the process and dialed Toujou.

   “Hello?”

   “Toujou it’s me,” Eli said. “I’ll be honest, there’s something a little strange about this kid. But I hardly think it justifies a conspiracy theory.”

   “What do you mean?”

   “Well, for starters, he’s already greying,” she said. “And if I’m right—and it looks like I am—he also seems to have minor bone fractures and _arthritis._ Now, juvenile arthritis isn’t unheard of, but for him to develop it so suddenly and so late…”

   “The timing is definitely suspicious,” Agent Toujou agreed. “Anyway, Eli, I trust you in figuring out an explanation, but in the meanwhile, I’ve got to go.”

   “What are you—“

   “I’ll explain later,” she said quickly. “Good luck, Eli, I believe in you!”

   “Toujou—“

   She was gone.

\--

   Nozomi Toujou slid her cellphone into the compartment pocket of her sedan and checked her GPS. Three miles until her next turn.

   While Eli had been handling the autopsy, Nozomi was conducting her own investigation. None of the victims seemed to have a thing in common; however, there were two very small discoveries that she had made after visiting the Delaney’s. First, all of the victims had attended classes at the local community college, Fairbrooke. While this wasn’t the place that any of the deaths had taken place, it was the only lead she had. On a seemingly unrelated note, there was a pharmaceutical company that had recently set up shop not too far from the campus. Perhaps they’d be worth a look.

   Garter Pharmaceutical was a surprisingly large—and well-guarded—building. When Nozomi walked through the glass double-doors, she was stopped by a secretary sitting behind a very large, sleek, modern desk.

   “Can I see your identification please?” she asked.

   She pulled out her FBI badge and handed it to the secretary, who looked it over. “… I’m sorry,” she said. “I can’t let you through.”

   Nozomi frowned, and placed both hands on the desk. “Miss, I’m a federal agent,” she said. “I need access to this building right now.”

   “I’m sorry, but—“

   “Is there a problem here?”

   A third, male voice interrupted them. Nozomi looked up to see three armed guards watching her from the left hall. A closer inspection revealed that they were military; she could just barely see the medals gleaming on the lapel of the oldest man’s jacket.

   “… No,” she said after a moment. “Not at all.” She turned back to the secretary, who was watching the event unfold with slight apprehension, and smiled. “Thank you.”

   She took back her ID and marched out of the building, but not before letting out a stream of curse words under her breath.

   _Military!_ She thought angrily. _This is bigger than I anticipated. I hope Eli’s alright. Whatever’s been killing these people isn’t as natural as she thinks it is… I’d better call her._

“Hello?” Eli’s voice was a bit choppy. Nozomi wondered if there was something wrong with the signal here.

   “So I’ve made a bit of headway,” she said. “There’s more between these victims than we thought."

   “Like what?”

   “They were all taking classes at Fairbrooke Community College at the time of their death,” Nozomi continued as she got into her car. “Maybe there’s a connection.”

   “It’s a bit of a stretch, but I’ll check it out,” Eli said. “What are you doing?”

   “I’m going to see what I can find out about this chemical company that moved in,” she said. “Good luck, Eli.”

   “You too.”

\--

   Fairbrooke Community College wasn’t a particularly large school, but it was busy. Eli was able to find a parking spot nearby the gym, which wasn’t particularly where she wanted to start, but she supposed it would do.

   It had been a long day and Eli had barely had time to eat or drink; for a moment, she thought about getting something from the cafeteria, but after a moment to mentally revisit the cafeteria food in her alma mater, she decided it may not be a good idea. But, she definitely needed some fluids, and stopped by a water fountain near the gym entrance.

_“Ugh!”_

   The water that came out of the spout was milky and left behind a grainy trail. “Oh my god,” Eli said to herself.

   “Oh, is it dirty again?”

   Eli jumped. One of the professors had walked up behind her.

   “Y—Yes,” she said. “Is this normal?”

   “It’s definitely not uncommon,” the woman said. “Every time they do maintenance on the pipes on the basement, this happens to the water. Must be the age.”

   “I’ve never seen any rust like this…” Eli muttered.

   She shrugged. “Well, the man’s still downstairs if you’d like to ask him. I’m not sure what you’re hoping to find though.”

   “Thank you,” Eli said. “Which was is the basement?”

   The woman pointed to a set of double doors to her right. “Down there.”

   Eli thanked her and headed downstairs. As she descended the last couple of steps, she could hear banging, the sound of someone working, but it was too dark for her to see anyone.

   “Hello?” she called. The banging stopped. “Excuse me, is someone down here?”

   The sound of running footsteps suddenly replaced the banging, and Eli quickly followed.

   “Wait!” she yelled. “STOP! Federal Agent!”

   The footsteps didn’t stop, and Eli saw the outline of a man open a door and run upstairs. She raced after him, but he had too great of a head start; he threw open the doors to a white van, and sped off.

   _What the HELL was that about?_ Eli wondered as she stopped to catch her breath. Why would he run? Maybe he was an imposer? Had Eli just scared him?

   _Resisting a federal employee is grounds for a felony,_ she thought. _Either he didn’t know that, or whatever he was doing, he really, really didn’t want to get caught doing it._

Eli ran back to the basement where the man had been working. He must have just been finishing up, because the pipe was sealed and there were no tools left behind. As she approached the wall, she felt herself step in something sandy. A white powder covered part of the floor; it looked like the substance that had been coming out of the water fountain. Eli bent down to scoop a little into one of the tiny plastic bags she carried in her bag.

   _Maybe everyone’s just on cocaine,_ she thought. _I’m sure Nishikino will be thrilled with that conclusion._

She shuddered at the thought of her and Agent Toujou’s last review. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be a repeat of that after this case.

   With Toujou back on her mind, Eli grabbed her cellphone out of her bag and dialed the other agent. “Toujou, it’s me,” she said into the receiver.

   “Any luck at the college?” Toujou’s voice asked.

   “Luck might not be the right word,” she said. “Look, Toujou—don’t drink the water.”

   “The water?”

   “There’s something in the water,” Eli said. “I don’t know what it is yet, or who it affects, so just stick to the bottled stuff for now.”

   “Will do,” she said. “What did you find?”

   “Some sort of drug,” she said, looking at the little baggie. “I don’t want to talk about this over the phone, is there somewhere I can meet you?”

   “I’ll go to the local police department,” she said. “Maybe there’s something there that’ll let you take a good look at this drug you found.”

   “I’ll meet you there.”

   Toujou hung up, and Eli tucked the bag back into her purse. As she walked out, she pulled aside a woman who looked like she was on staff. “Excuse me, miss,” she said. “Do you know who manages the water here?”

   “Prometheus Inc.,” she said. “They’re the monopoly around here.”

   “Prometheus? Like the Titan?”

   “Exactly.”

   “Thank you,” Eli said. She remembered Toujou had said something earlier about a company chemical moving in; maybe she’d been onto something.

\--

   “So tell me more about this drug you found,” Toujou said.

   Eli slid into the seat across from in the Somerville Police Station. She pulled out the plastic baggie full of the powder she’d found in the school, and slid it across the table to Toujou. She picked it up and examined it for a moment, the laughed a little.

   “You’ve solved it, Eli,” she said. “Everyone’s on cocaine.”

   Eli couldn’t resist a small smile. “That’s what I thought for a moment, too,” she said. “But somehow, I don’t think Nishikino would be as quick to believe that.”

   “Nishikino…” Toujou scoffed, like a verbal eyeroll. “Anyway, Eli, if it’s not crack, what do you think it is?”

   “I have no idea,” she said. “I’ll have to take a look at it. I’m hoping the school will let me use their labs.”

   “Maybe if you flash them your badge a few times,” Toujou said. “A little extra funding, you know?”

   “Maybe,” Eli said. “Anyway, I’ll get that done tonight. In the meantime, what were you saying about that chemical company?”

   “I misspoke,” she said. “Garter is a pharmaceutical company. And apparently, a very high-profile one, at that.”

   Eli frowned. “I’ve never heard of them.”

   “I hadn’t either, and it’s no surprise,” she continued. “They make highly-controlled substances, not the sort of medication you can walk into your local Walgreens for. In fact…” she looked around. “From what I found, it seems that most of their research is centered around experimental drugs. Super pills, if you will.”

   “Like steroids?”

   “A bit.”

   “What’s so strange about that?”

   “Well, nothing, necessarily,” Toujou said. “But when I went there to check them out, they were _very_ unwilling to let me in.”

   “You told them you were FBI?”

   “No, actually, I said I was selling insurance,” she said, and Eli giggled. “But they saw my badge and they still turned me away. I tried to argue with them, but then military personnel came out and demanded I leave.”

   _“Military_ personnel?” Eli asked, surprised.

   “Fully armed and in uniform,” Toujou said. “And that was pretty much the end of it.”

   “…”

   Eli was quiet. She took back the little bag from Toujou, and sat in silence for a moment, examining it. “What’s in here that’s so important to protect?” she asked aloud to no one in particular.

   “An experimental drug, a poison, a placebo…” she smiled. “Alien brain powder…”

  _“Don’t.”_

 Toujou laughed. “No. I don’t think there’s any way I’d get that lucky.” Eli wasn’t as amused. “But in all seriousness, whatever this powder is, it’s important to the government and it’s _definitely_ causing the deaths.”

   Eli frowned. “How do you know that?”

   “Oh,” Toujou said offhandedly, “I mean, you only found it in the school, right? And that was our one connection between the victims.”

   “But—“

   “And I’ve been all over town and haven’t seen or heard of anything like it,” she continued, answering Eli’s question before she could ask it. “Not to mention the military showing up.”

   “I’ll admit it’s strange,” Eli said. “But why here? Why now? _Why?”_

“It wouldn’t be the first time the government has secretly tested drugs or chemicals on the public,” Toujou said. “Operation Sea-Spray in the 50s, they sprayed bacteria all over San Francisco. It’s the perfect mass-test.”

   “But what are they testing?”

   Toujou fingered the little packet. Eli saw her eyes glaze over, like she wasn’t looking at the bag, but _through_ it, like there was something there that Eli couldn’t see. “Who knows,” she said finally. “The cure to the common cold?”

   “That’d be nice, but it’s a bit unrealistic,” Eli said. “Anyway, I’ll take it in tonight for testing.” She suddenly remembered what the woman had told her as she was leaving.

   “Oh!”

   Toujou looked up. “I forgot to mention,” she said. “It was the local water company that left this behind. Prometheus Inc.”

   “Prometheus…” Toujou said curiously. “The titan that brought fire to humanity.”

   “That was what I thought, too.”

   “Ironic,” she said. Eli was about to ask what was ironic about it, but Toujou stood up before she could get another word in. “Eli, you said you’re going to Fairbrooke again?”

   “That’s what I’m hoping for, yes.”

   “Alright,” Toujou said. “I’m going to go back to the hotel for a little. Let me know if you need me.”

   “Where are you going?”

   Toujou thought for a moment. “I think I’ll take a nap.”

   Eli couldn’t bring herself to respond.

\--

   “I can’t thank you enough for letting me use your labs, Dr. Mellampy,” Eli said as she poured a little bit of the white powder onto a petri dish. “This is a huge aid to our investigation.”

   “Not at all.”

   Dr. Mellampy was a slightly balding man in his 40’s with a protruding nose and bushy eyebrows that made him look vaguely annoyed. However, his looks were misleading, as he hadn’t even hesitated to let Eli use the college facilities after explaining that she was FBI.

   “Can I ask what you’re looking for?” he said, peering over her shoulder.  
   “I can’t say,” Eli said. “And that’s not just because it’s government information, but I honestly have no idea what I’m going to find, or even what I _expect_ to find.”

   “Well, whatever you find, I hope it explains what’s been killing those kids,” he said. “Andrea Jackson, one of the victims, was a student of mine. She was bright, hard worker. Healthy, too. No idea what could’ve killed her.”

   “I’m hoping to get you some answers as soon as possible…” Eli said. The microscope was yielding no results other than identifying is as a very fine white powder. “Doctor, could you run some chemical tests on this for me?”

   “Of course, Dr. Ayase. Say the word.”

\--

   The tests were back within an hour. When Dr. Mellampy handed them back to Eli, she took a second look at them, then a third, then looked at Dr. Mellampy.

   “… Are these accurate?” she asked.

   “So far as I know,” he said. “Why?”

   She pulled out one of the charts. “Well… Look at this.” Eli pointed to a dotted graph. “There’s a huge amount of receptors in here. This sort of drug would only work on someone whose hormone levels were equally as high.”

   “Like who?”

   “Teenagers, actually,” Eli said, mystified. “Fifteen to twenty-seven, judging by the makeup. Which would fit the victims profile…”

   “But what does it do?”

   “The levels of resveratrol are outrageous,” she said, pointing to another spot on the chart. “This has been known to affect the mitochondria, cause disruptions in cell communication… If someone were ingesting enough of this… it could possibly cause premature aging. Heart failure, diabetes, stroke… Even… grey hair…”

   She stopped dead. “… Agent?” Dr. Mellampy said. “Agent Ayase, is everything alright?”

   “Y-Yes,” she said quickly. “Sorry.”

   She shoved the tests back into the doctor’s hands. “I have to go,” she said. “Make sure these documents and the samples are locked up before you leave. No one can have access to them except for you and I.”

   He nodded, baffled. “Thank you,” she said, and rushed out the door.

   Toujou had been right—they _were_ testing something here. But what? And WHY, for that matter? What was this drug even supposed to do?”

   “Toujou, it’s me,” Eli said into her phone. “I ran the powder through the lab.”

   “And?”

   “We’ve got our killer,” she said. Her voice was shaky, but confident. “I’ll be at the hotel in ten minutes. We need to investigate Prometheus Water.”

   “I’ll get a warrant,” Toujou said, “but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow morning.”

   “That’s fine,” she said. “I’ll see you soon.”

\--

   The next morning the warrant had come in, just like Toujou had said it would. Eli was so eager to close this case, she’d barely slept the night before.

   “You’re awful excited,” Toujou said as they drove towards the enormous building that housed Prometheus Inc.

   “I’ve enjoyed this case,” she said, and she meant it. “No one’s gotten shot, there are no Greek monsters, and I won’t lie, I find these sort of cases—bioterrorism, almost—particularly interesting.”

   Toujou smiled curiously. “I’m glad. I know the last one was—frustrating for you.”

   “To say the least,” Eli said flatly. Toujou chuckled.

   They pulled up in front of the glass doors to Prometheus and Eli strode into the building with a righteous sense of duty. A secretary stood up to stop her and began to say something, but Eli beat her to it.

   “My name is Special Agent Eli Ayase, I’m with the FBI,” she said, holding up her badge to the dumbstruck secretary. “I have a warrant to search the premises.”

   Toujou walked up beside her and held up her badge. The secretary shook her head, still bewildered.

   “I can’t let you past,” she said.

   Eli frowned. “I’m an agent of the United States government and I have a court-ordered warrant for this building—“

   “There’s nothing I can do,” the secretary said, and Eli noticed her hand slip under the desk. “You’re going to have to leave.”

   “I don’t think you understand—“

   “Ma’am, you and your partner are going to leave.”

   Eli stopped mid-sentence and looked up. A man in military uniform was standing behind the desk, and she could see several others in the distance. She looked at the secretary, utterly betrayed;

   “You called SECURITY?”

   “She was just following procedure,” the man said firmly. “You two can’t come in here.”

   “I have a WARRANT,” Eli almost _spat._ “I will have you DISCHARGED—“

   “Eli.”

   She stopped. Nozomi was standing behind her with her cellphone in hand. She looked defeated.

   “That was Nishikino,” she said. Eli’s stomach bottomed out. “We’re off the case.”

\--

   “Off the case…” Eli whispered, shell-shocked. _“Off the case…”_

They had been mere yards, just _seconds_ away from the truth, and Eli was sure that was the part that hurt the most. Assistant Director Maki Nishikino had plucked them from the case like overripe fruit from a tree. They had received no explanation, other than they needed to return to Washington on a “serious matter,” the details of which still remained highly ambiguous.

   “I’m not really surprised,” Toujou said thoughtfully. “Does really make me wonder just what we were onto, though. Especially after this.”

   She slid her phone across the desk; it was open to an article in _The Somerville Times._

_Authorities Baffled After Break-In At Community College_

_A break-in occurred late Thursday night in Fairbrooke Community College’s science department. Although no one was hurt, the cabinet holding several of the biology department’s cultures was broken into. It doesn’t appear as though anything was taken. Authorities believe it was mostly likely a prank by students, but there are no leads on any suspects at the present moment._

“I called the school,” Toujou said. “Nothing was taken—but they couldn’t find any reports of a powder being analyzed—or samples of the white powder itself.”

   “I just don’t _understand,”_ she said. “Why? Why go through all this trouble? Why wouldn’t Nishikino want us to crack this? How would she even _know?”_

   “I guess we’ll just have to ask her,” Toujou said, heading for the door.

   Before she could ask what Toujou meant, Eli’s phone beeped; an email had come in from Nishikino asking them to meet her in her office.

   _…I’ll figure you out someday, Toujou._

_\--_

   As Eli opened the door to Nishikino’s office, she smelled a very faint, but very familiar, flowery perfume. Toujou noticed it too, and frowned.

   “Hello, agents,” Nishikino’s voice said. “Sit down.”

   They both took seats in front of her desk, and Nishikino folded her hands. “I apologize for pulling you out of Massachusetts so suddenly,” she said. She didn’t sound sorry. “Unfortunately, there’s been a hiccup in our recent investigation of Jared Murray.”

   Eli frowned. “The man wanted for embezzlement?”

   “Yes,” Nishikino said. “We have a stakeout on him—we suspect he’s meeting with a partner—but our agents have fallen ill, and we need someone to replace them.”

   “You… pulled us off a case for a stakeout?” Eli said, audibly skeptical.

   “I did,” she said sternly. “And I expect you to accept that, agent. You’ll both be reassigned to the Murray case, and I expect that you’ll perform it with the same diligence and integrity that you did the case in Massachusetts.”

   “Yes, ma’am,” Eli said, crestfallen. She figured it would be better to just agree before Toujou could get a word in. “We will.”

   “Good to hear,” she said. “Agent Martina will fill you in on your positions. Dismissed.”

   They walked out of the office in silence. “… I don’t believe this,” Eli said finally. “She’s got to be making this up. Pulling us out for a _stakeout.”_

“We were right, Eli,” Toujou said. She hesitated for a moment. “We did stumble across something a lot bigger than we thought. And something tell me that’s not the last we’re going to see of it.”

 

_My paths are split and cloudy. But I will make the right choice._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love the work? Hate it? Rather indifferent? Want to tell me what you had for breakfast this morning? Send all hate, love, and breakfast-related inquiries to sailor-rinn.tumblr.com. I want to know.


	4. Hades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli still doesn't believe in God. Or gods. But she knows she believes in evil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOOOO MAN I AM SO SORRY  
> This took!!!! Almost three months!!! I had exams and moving and all sorts of other shit to deal with. THANK YOU FOR BEING SO PATIENT!!!!!! I really hope you guys like this chapter. I did a lot of research trying to make everything as accurate as possible. Unfortunately, I still fear I might have slipped up on one or two things, but this is my best shot.

_“In the middle of the journey of our life I found myself within a dark woods where the straight way was lost.”  
― The Inferno_

   Eli traced her finger along the corner of her morning newspaper. It had been a few weeks now since she and Agent Toujou had started working together; and although their success rate had been rather admirable, Eli couldn’t help but feel it was a tad exhausting.

   Not more than two seconds after she had this thought, there was a knock on the door, and Toujou herself entered.

   “Eli,” she said, “I’m glad you’re here. Look at this.”

   She tossed a newspaper onto Eli’s desk, dated from the previous Monday. Printed across the top in big letters was the headline:

_THE AXEMAN RETURNS AFTER ALMOST A CENTURY_

   “The Axeman?” she asked.

   “Just read the article,” Toujou insisted. Eli sighed.

_Nearly one hundred years after the infamous axe murders in 1918, it seems as though a copycat has arisen to terrorize New Orleans a second time. Following the 20 th-century killer’s tradition of what appears to be axe murders, the killer has claimed his second victim in a three-week period. Similar to the 1918 murders is also the lack of evidence surrounding the crimes. The doors have been smashed in, but nothing stolen from the house. The police say they have no leads at this moment. After the first murder on… (continued on 4E)_

“I’ve heard about this case,” Eli said, pointing at the article. “Not these new ones, but the ones in the 1900s. Many people thought it had some sort of supernatural answer.”

   “And with good reason,” Toujou said. “The Axeman was described as a shadowy, hulking figure, like a spirit. There were several murders where the killer entered through a panel chiseled in the door that was much too small for any man to fit through.”

   “Didn’t he also publish some sort of letter?”

   “Right, in 1919,” she said. “He claimed he was a demon from Tartarus, longing to return to his home. Interestingly enough, he also mentioned that he would pass over any house that played jazz that night… sound familiar?”

   Eli hesitated for a moment. “… The plagues of Egypt?”

   “Yes!” Toujou said, suddenly excited. “Just like in the Bible. But, with jazz.”

   Eli raised her eyebrows a little bit. “So, what exactly do you think is going on?”

   “I’m not sure yet,” she said. “But I’m positive it’s not just a copycat.”

   “Well, what is it then?”

   “I’m not sure yet,” Agent Toujou said and Eli narrowly avoided and eyeroll. “But I’ll find out.”

   “So, I assume we’re going to New Orleans?”

   “2:00 PM sharp.”

   Eli sighed and got up from her chair. “You’re lucky I’ve started keeping a bag packed, Agent Toujou.”

   Toujou just smiled.

                                                                             --

   She would never admit it to Agent Toujou, but Eli was secretly just a bit excited about going to New Orleans. Her family hadn’t been able to afford many vacations when she was younger, and she’d always grown up hearing stories about the bright lights and mysteries of The Big Easy. She spent most of the three-hour plane ride looking up different restaurants and tourist attractions and plotting ways that she could convince Agent Toujou to go there without it looking like she was trying to skip out on work.

   “Anyway, Eli,” Toujou was saying as they drove away from the airport, “I have the case files in my bag if you wanted to take a look at them.”

   “Sure,” Eli said, then stopped. “Uh, do you think we could maybe—“

   “Do it over lunch?

   Eli stopped, surprised. “Yeah. I—“

   “I hear there’s a really great place downtown,” Toujou said without hesitation. “Brennan’s, it’s—“

   “A Cajun restaurant,” Eli said excitedly. It was also one of the places she’d been hoping to go. “That sounds _fantastic.”_

“Well,” Toujou said, holding out her cellphone, “if you want to navigate—“

   “Already pulling up directions now.”

   “Always ahead of the game, Eli.”

\--

   Something about delicious food makes it virtually impossible to wait for; the moment the plate enters our line of vision, we’re ready to tackle any obstacle to get our hands on whatever delicacy lies on its porcelain—or plastic—surface.

   The gumbo burned Eli’s mouth, but that was by no means going to stop her. She shoveled another spoonful into her mouth, then realized what a slob she was being, and quickly tried to cover for herself.

   “The cafeteria at headquarters could learn a few tricks here,” Toujou said wryly as she pressed into her mac and cheese, which let up a breath of steam as the cheese gave way. “I don’t think I’ve eaten this well in months.”

   “I don’t think I’ve eaten this well _ever,”_ Eli said, putting a little more emphasis on “ever” than she intended, and Toujou gave her a strange look. “I, uh, don’t have time to cook.”

   She smiled pleasantly. “I understand. I can’t really say I do, either. But Eli, these case files—“ she pulled out the vanilla folder from her bag and handed them to Eli. “There are some really strange details here. Look at the method of entry for the case from August.”

   Eli pulled out a file labelled “ROGERS—AUGUST” and scanned the first page. There was a picture of a wooden door with a square hole in the front, maybe about two feet tall.

   “Is this how the killer entered?” she asked.

   “Unless the killer was a 3-year-old child or a midget, then no,” Toujou said flatly, and Eli bit back a laugh.

   “Have the police checked the alibis of all local midgets?” she asked.

   Toujou smiled a bit. “They’re clean,” she said. “Besides, the blows from the axe were deep. It took a heavy weapon and someone with a good amount of strength to do this sort of damage.”

   “So what’s it point, then?”  
   “No idea,” she said. “Could be a diversion of some sort, a trick. But it does match the signature of the 1918 murders, and the same M.O.”

   Eli frowned, and put down the file. “Why would someone be copying murders from almost a century ago?”

   “You’re assuming this is a _copycat.”_

“Well what else would it be?” Eli asked. Toujou raised her eyebrows at her expectantly, and Eli sighed. “Toujou, these murders took place almost a hundred years ago, whoever the true killer was has been dead for a very long time, I’m sure.”

   “You’re always so _sure_ , Eli,” she said. “Keep an open mind.”

   “It’s hard to keep an open mind without closing my eyes,” Eli said stubbornly.

   “… Tell you what,” Agent Toujou said, sweeping the case files back into her bag. “Let’s just go take a look at the crime scene. If it really is a copycat, maybe he’ll have slipped up somewhere.”

   “Sounds fine to me,” Eli said, then looked down at her mostly-uneaten gumbo. “But first, let me get a box.”

\--

   _I’ve never wanted to work less in my life,_ Eli thought. The drive to the crime scene was maddening; the streets of New Orleans were packed full of colorful houses and bizarre shops—it was difficult to go too far without hearing the tune of a local band or street musician floating through the clamor of the crowds.

   “Why couldn’t someone have been murdered during Mardi Gras instead?” Eli grumbled to herself. To her surprise, Toujou heard her, and chuckled.

   “Too convenient,” she said as Eli flushed. “Anyway, we’re about there, so let’s pretend to work, huh?”

   Eli didn’t say anything, and remained quiet as she and Toujou got out of the car in front of a rather worn-down apartment building.

   “The crime scene’s on the fifth floor,” Toujou said. “I hope you’re okay with a walk.”

   Eli groaned. “Thrilled, actually.”

   The two-foot hole that had been carved into the apartment door was nailed shut by a wooden board; Eli wondered how much the rest of the crime scene had been cleaned up.

    “I told the local authorities not to touch or remove anything,” Toujou said, almost instantly. “But they were insistent on covering the hole.”

   “That’s understandable,” Eli said. “I suppose you wouldn’t want anyone breaking in.”

   Toujou nodded, and opened the door. The inside of the room was covered in police tape and paper markings. Eli sighed; so much for not touching anything.

   “Victim was found in the bedroom,” Toujou said, already making her way across the room. “Looks like they were asleep when the killer entered.”

   Eli followed her, and upon entering the room, suppressed a gag. There was blood everywhere; it covered the sheets and had dripped onto the floor and walls. Whoever was cleaning this had their work cut out for them.

   “Brutal, huh?” Toujou said. “Whoever did this had some serious anger issues.”

   “Are there any suspects?” Eli asked. “Ex partners, bosses, etc.?”

   “No, none of the victims have any connection,” she said. “This is all one person, unless a bunch of people decided to commit homicide in the exact same way.”

   “Which is unlikely,” Eli said and Toujou nodded. “Anyway, I’m going to take a look around. Let me know if you find anything.”

   Toujou wandered back towards the entrance, and Eli began scouring the bedroom. Aside from the massive bloodstains, nothing seemed to be out of place; it didn’t look like anything had been taken, nor that there had been a struggle. She walked to the other side of the bed, where there was less blood, and knelt down. There was nothing under the bed, but as she started to stand, something caught her eye. A large black mark was made in the carpet; she couldn’t tell of what with the bed over it.

   “Toujou,” she called. “I found something.”

   “What is it?” Toujou’s voice said from the other room.

   “I don’t know, it’s under the bed. Help me move it.”

   Toujou stood on the other side, and together, they pushed the bed to the wall. Eli looked back to where the bed had been, and could now clearly see a symbol marked on the carpet. There was a heart at the top and triangle at the bottom, with stars and crosses permeating throughout.

   “Do you know what this is?” Eli asked.

   “Voodoo symbol, I think,” Toujou said, kneeling down next to it. “Give me a moment.”

   Eli frowned. “Voodoo? Like, the thing with the dolls?”

   Toujou almost rolled her eyes. “No, that’s all Hollywood propaganda. And an easy sell to uneducated tourists. The closest you’ll find to a ‘voodoo doll’ is one made to attract a loa.”  
   “A what?”

   “They’re spirits whom voodoo practitioners interact with in order to complete their rituals,” Toujou said. “They sacrifice food and other offerings, the loa help them perform spells. Symbols like this one—“ she pointed at the symbol on the floor, “are used to summon specific loa.”

   “Then what’s this one?”

   “I can’t say I have a huge knowledge of voodoo, but it looks like the Veve of Maman Brigitte,” she said. “A death symbol, if you will. Fittingly enough.”

   “So what, you think someone cursed this guy?” Eli asked.

   “I’m not sure…” Toujou said. She ran one latex-covered finger over the outside circle of the symbol, which smudged into the carpet.

   “What’s it made of?” Eli asked.

   “I don’t know,” Toujou said. “Here, take a sample…”

   Eli scooped a bit of the dirt into a plastic bag, and stood up. “Unless you think there’s something else waiting here, I’m going to get this analyzed,” she said. “Are you coming?”

   “Oh, no,” Toujou said. “I’m going to go talk to the police chief and see if I can get his side of things.”

   “Alright. I’ll call you if I find anything.”

   “Good luck, Eli.”

\--

   New Orleans was more than just fancy restaurants and tourist traps; it was a city steeped in culture, one that could not have been more distant from Toujou own. Having grown up in Japan, Toujou was always surrounded with a rich cultural history of her own, but her interest had since expanded to every corner of the world. New Orleans, in particular contained a significant Creole and Haitian population, two cultures with a strong sense of spirituality and magic, and it fascinated her all the more.

   In fact, it made her feel rather at home.

   As tempted as she was to stop and talk to the locals, Toujou forced herself to continue on to the police station, where the chief was waiting for her. He was a rather large man, with sparkling eyes and graying black hair.

   “Agent Toujou,” he said, extending his hand. “Chief Alberto Rochester. Thank you for coming down so quickly. It’ll be a real help to have you onboard.”

   “Not a problem,” she said. “I appreciate your invitation. This is a very unique case you have.”

   “I wish it wasn’t,” he said rather quietly. “This whole “axe man” thing has everyone in a panic, and it’s making it twice as hard to get the facts down.”

   “What do you think happened?” she asked.

   He hesitated for a moment, then quickly looked both ways. “I’ll be real honest with you, agent,” he said, “this city is—well, _spooky._ Things happen here that no one can quite place a finger on, and I’m not just talking about the homicide rate. That’s why I called you down here, actually. I heard about your expertise in this sort of thing. I can’t lie, agent, I feel like there’s something a little out of the ordinary here myself.”

   “It’s always good to work with someone that has an open mind,” she said with a smile. “Can you tell me anything else?”

   “Not yet,” he said, “But I can show you the original axe man files, if you’d like.”

   “That’d be great.”

   He led her back to the archive room, where he opened up a rusty metal cabinet in the back, and extracted an aging folder. Toujou could just make out faint writing that said “X-2308 AXE MAN MURDERS.”

   “An x-file,” she murmured. “Plenty of experience with these…”

   “Good, you’ll need it,” he said. “Because it’s just going to keep getting weirder.”

   Toujou opened the file, and pulled out an aged piece of paper. It was a newspaper clipping from 1919, titled “AXEMAN PENS LETTER OF WARNING TO NEW ORLEANS CITIZENS.”

   “The original letter… Toujou murmured, pulling out another piece of paper behind it. Suddenly, she was hit by a wave of nausea, and dropped the folder.

   “Are you alright?” Rochester cried, leaning down next to her. “Agent Toujou?”

  “I’m fine, sorry,” she said, quickly straightening up. “Chief Rochester, is it alright for me to borrow this file?”

   “Borrow it?” he asked. “Well, I suppose so. But keep it off the radar, alright?”

   “Of course,” Toujou said. “You won’t even notice it’s gone.”

\--

   Eli reclined back into her chair in the laboratory as she waited for the test results on the dirt sample to come back. Being in New Orleans was nice, but she wished she wasn’t on the job. Maybe she needed to take some vacation time.

   Like that would ever happen.

   Her computer beeped as the scans she had run on the soil appeared on the screen; Eli wrinkled her nose as she read the results:

   “Manganese, nickel, calcium… lot of calcium, analcime… oh!” she exclaimed. “Graveyard dirt!”

   She emailed the document to herself, and quickly dialed Agent Toujou on her cellphone.

   “Hello?”  
   “I ran an analysis on that dirt we found in the carpet at the crime scene,” Eli said.

   “And what was it?”

   “Graveyard dirt,” she said excitedly. “The calcium deposits, the sulfur… couldn’t have been that old, either.”

   “That’s what I thought,” Toujou said thoughtfully. “Graveyard dirt is especially powerful in voodoo rituals. Fresher the better, too. Anything else?”

   “No, just dirt,” she said. “What about you?”

   “I’ve got the original axe murders file…” she said. “It’s really fascinating, Eli. Holding it almost… makes you feel like you were there.”

   Eli didn’t quite like the tone of Agent Toujou’s voice, but didn’t say anything about it, either. “I’m not sure how that’s going to help us, but I’m glad you’re so excited. When will you be back at the hotel? I wouldn’t mind taking a look at the files myself.”

   “I’ll be back in just a few minutes,” Toujou said. “I’m going to pick up a few things at the drugstore—I forgot my toothbrush.”

   “Alright. I’ll see you then.”

   The other line hung up, and Eli began shuffling the papers lying on the desk. As she filed everything neatly into one of her beige folders, there was a clicking from behind her, like nails on tile, which made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

   She quickly turned around to an empty lab. Nothing made a sound, except for the soft whirring of the massive computer.

   Eli backed up slowly; her hand slipped onto the surface of the table for balance, and from behind her, came a low, threatening growl.

   Eli let out a shriek, and stumbled backwards into her chair. The room was still empty, but the sound of an animal skittering across the floor surrounded her. There was a bark; then another, louder, from behind her. She shrieked again, and threw her files at the sound. They hit the floor with a thump, and suddenly, the door flew open.

   “What’s going on?” a man’s voice demanded.

   “There’s a dog!” Eli cried hysterically. “There’s a dog in here, a big dog!”

   The man called over his shoulder, and two other people followed him in. One helped Eli out of her chair and picked up her files, while the other two searched the room. The first officer escorted out of the room, and led her over to a bench.

   “Ma’am,” said one of the officers who had searched the room. “We’ve checked everywhere, there’s no dog. Are you sure you saw something?”

   “I—I didn’t _see_ it, I heard it,” Eli said breathlessly. “But it was in there, I swear to god, I heard it, it growled at me—“

   “Agent,” the man said, noting the badge that had come out of her pocket. “I think you’re tired. This city—“ he gestured around him, “it can wear you out. Go get some rest.”

   Eli stuttered something like a protest, but the officer just gave her a reassuring smile, and left.

   _I heard it,_ she thought, still shaken. _I heard that dog, I know I did…_

Her watch chirped, marking the hour. Eli took a deep breath; she needed to get back to Agent Toujou. Heaven knows she’d want to hear this.

\--

   Although she’d been hoping for another five-star meal, Eli couldn’t help but be grateful when she returned to the hotel to find that Agent Toujou had ordered pizza.

   “How was the lab?” Toujou asked.

   “Uh…” Eli hesitated. Maybe she shouldn’t mention anything to Toujou; it probably wasn’t in Eli’s (or the Bureau’s) favor to get her excited over voodoo. “Same as it always is. Boring.”

   “Really?” she asked. “Interesting. I’ve heard some of those police scientists are real animals.”

   Eli stared at her, but Toujou didn’t break face. “Anyway, I think you’ll enjoy that file I brought back,” she continued. “It has the original letter and everything.”

   “Um, sure,” Eli said. “Here, I’ll let you take a look at the lab files…”

   They exchanged folders, and Eli pulled out a yellowing piece of paper. Tight, neat handwriting was still visible;

   _Esteemed mortal…_ she read. _A spirit and a demon from the hottest hell… slay thousands… my native Tartarus… the worst spirit that ever existed... Wow. Classic egomaniac._

“It sounds like a particularly severe case of schizophrenia,” she said flatly. “Clearly delusional of their own power, possibly paranoid, obvious identification with Greek myth and Satanism—“

   “You’re too _technical,_ Eli,” Toujou said. She casually tossed the file back onto the table. “I appreciate your passion for this sort of thing, but I really didn’t get a word of it.”

   Eli bit back a nip of annoyance. “Well, what do you think it is?”

   “A demon,” she said simply. “Or, whatever you feel as though the Greek equivalent of that might be.”

   “Of course,” Eli muttered. “Demons. Why did I not think of that.”

   “You sound skeptical.”

   Eli inhaled deeply. “Only a little. What makes you think it’s demons?”

   “Well, the voodoo, mostly,” Toujou said as though it were obvious. “But, the graveyard dirt and particularly violent deaths did help.”

   “As much as I appreciate your devotion, I think the much more likely answer here is that we have a copycat,” Eli said, almost amused.

   “Or so they say…” she grumbled.

   Eli rolled her eyes and crawled into bed. “Hey, can I turn off the light?”

   Toujou didn’t answer. She was staring at the letter, transfixed. “Toujou?”

   “What?” she said, startled. “Sorry, Eli, did you say something?”

   “Is it alright if I turned off my light?”

   “Oh, yes,” she said. “Go right ahead.”

   Eli switched off the lamp and buried herself under the comforter. Agent Toujou was still staring at the letter, and Eli peered quietly at her from under the covers.

   _What does she see in this case that I don’t?_

\--

    The next morning came bracingly fast; Eli had nightmares about a massive, three-headed dog that chased her through New Orleans. There would be a moment when she thought she had lost it, but then she’d turn around, and one of the enormous heads would still be snapping at her heels.

   She poured herself an extra-large cup of coffee with three sugars in a small diner that morning. Toujou didn’t seem too keen on waking up, and Eli was a notorious morning person, so she thought she’d get some breakfast while Toujou got herself together. The waitress eyed her full mug skeptically, and said:

   “What can I get you, sweetie?”

   “Um, today’s special, please,” Eli said, pointing at a platter of eggs, bacon, toast, and fish.

   “How d’you like your eggs?”

   “Over-easy, please.”

   The waitress nodded and disappeared back into the kitchen, and Eli returned back to her phone. She had looked up every article she could find on the New Orleans Axeman; so far, there wasn’t much more than speculative occult articles and news reports from the recent murders. Something about the occult articles left her with an odd chill—Eli was, by no means, a believer in the occult. But the way the Axeman was described, both by the occult sites and the news—a demon, a vengeful spirit, the Angel of Death—made her inexplicably nervous. She found herself wondering absentmindedly how long it had been since she’d last prayed at a shrine.

   The waitress came with her breakfast, and Eli quickly thanked her. She trailed her fork through the eggs for a moment and ate slowly as she read. The events of the previous night had given her a real scare. So much, so, that she even found herself wondering if Agent Toujou might be _right._

Not a moment later, her phone began to ring. Agent Toujou was calling.

   “Eli? Where are you?” she asked.

   “I went to get some breakfast,” Eli said, shoving a piece of bacon into her mouth. “Are you still at the hotel?”

   “Actually, I’m at 340 Helena Drive,” she said. “You should join me. There’s been another murder.”

\--

   Eli had eaten as much as she could of her meal before leaving the restaurant. Something told her she was going to need her strength that day. When she arrived at the crime scene, courtesy of her phone’s GPS, Toujou was already waiting for her.

   “Victims were found around eight this morning by their housekeeper,” Toujou said before Eli even had a chance to shut the car door. “A nice middle-aged couple, real shame. Absolutely _horrendous_ in there, a perfect match to the original murders. Door has a little hole cut in it and everything.”

   Eli could swear that Toujou sounded _excited._ “Any evidence?”

   “Nothing that they’ve told me,” she said. “But, I bet when we get into the bedroom, we’ll find that dirt under the bed again.”

   Eli shrugged passively, trying not to give away how ready to believe Agent Toujou she really was. Did she _really_ believe in witchcraft and demons? No. But the incident from the previous night had left her spooked.

   She followed Agent Toujou through a swarm of police, keeping her badge held up next to her face, until they entered the house. There was already the distinct, coppery smell of blood in the air; Eli wondered how long it had been since the bodies were found. They walked to the back of the house, where the bedroom was blocked off by police tape.

   “It’s pretty ugly in there,” Agent Toujou said. “Are you ready?”

   Eli frowned, a little insulted. After all, she did dissect dead bodies for a living. “Of course.”

   Agent Toujou pushed through the yellow tape and opened the door. Eli peered inside, and gagged a little; well, Toujou certainly hadn’t been kidding about the scene being horrendous. Whoever had done this took his—or her—job seriously. They had also apparently seen it fit to repaint the (admittedly, putrid) green walls, which were now covered in blood. The bodies, thankfully, had been removed, but judging by the amount of blood in the room, Eli couldn’t imagine there was much left of them.

   “Good gods,” Eli said.

   “I wasn’t kidding.”

   Eli shook her head, and moved around to the side of the bed. “Toujou, do you have gloves?” she asked.

   Toujou tossed her a pair, and Eli snapped them on. She grabbed the bedpost, and began to push. Toujou put a pair on herself, and grabbed the other side. There was a terrible squelching noise as the bed moved across the blood-soaked carpet, but it was over quickly. Just as Toujou had predicted, the same symbol was lying underneath the bed.

   “I’ll be damned…” Eli whispered. She cleared her throat; “Whoever’s doing this, they’re nothing if not thorough. But what I don’t get is _why._ Why do this? What’s the motive?”

   “Some sort of sadistic enjoyment, I’d say,” Toujou said, then stooped down next to the symbol. She traced the dirt with her finger; “Or, maybe, they just know when it’s their time…”

   Before Eli could respond, Toujou stood up and looked directly at her. “We need to figure this out before anyone else dies.”

   “Right,” Eli agreed. “But we don’t have anything to go on, no leads, no suspects. What exactly do you want to do?”

    “… Give me some time to work on it,” she said. “In the meantime, would you go talk to the housekeeper? I think her name is Eloise Mayhall. Maybe there’s something she didn’t tell the police.”

   “Sure,” Eli said, and Toujou disappeared back into the crowd of police.

   The victims’ housekeeper was an elderly lady in her 60’s, who had white candy-floss hair and an aggressively floral housecoat. Eli approached her slowly, as it looked like she was still quite shell-shocked.

   “Ms. Mayhall?” she said gently, and the lady looked up.

   “I’ve already told the police everything I know,” she said quickly; she was clutching a grey shock blanket, which she drew tighter around her shoulder when she saw Eli coming.

   “I’m not the police, Ms. Mayhall,” she said. “My name is Eli Ayase, I’m with the FBI. Is it alright if I speak with you for a moment?”

   She didn’t say anything for a moment, then moved to the left a little, which Eli took as an invitation.

   “Thank you,” she said. “Ms. Mayhall, have you seen or heard anything suspicious while you were working for the victims?”

   She shook her head. “They were a quiet couple. Didn’t go out much.”

   “What about over the last few days?” Eli pressed. “Has there been anything even _slightly_ out of the ordinary that you can think of?”

   Ms. Mayhall paused for a moment. “No,” she said. “I’m sorry agent, I can’t help you.”

   “That’s alright, I know you must be frightened right now,” Eli said patiently. She handed the woman a card out of her jacket pocket; “This is my number. If there’s anything you think of, don’t hesitate to call me.”

   She nodded and slipped the card inside her pocket. Disheartened, Eli made her way back to the car, where she collapsed into the leather seat. She had been so _optimistic_ about this case, but now, it looked like it was turning into a dead end.

   As though on cue, her cellphone began to ring; it was Toujou.

   “Hello?”

   “Eli, it’s me,” Toujou said. Her voice was excited. “I think we’ve got a major breakthrough in this case.”

   Eli’s heart jumped into her throat. “Really?” she said. “What is it?”

   “I can’t tell you over the phone, but I need you to meet me at the police station,” she said. “How soon can you be there?”

   “I’m leaving now,” Eli said, fumbling with the keys as she tried to stuff them into the ignition. “Fifteen minutes, tops.”

   “Good.”

\--

   When she arrived at the station, Eli was positively bristling with excitement. This was why she had joined the FBI—putting the clues together, making it all work, finding the answer even when it seemed impossible. She reveled in it.

   “Is Agent Toujou here?” she said as she strode into the station.

   “I’m right here, Eli,” Toujou’s voice called. She was waiting by the door to the interrogation room.

   “Do you have a suspect?” Eli asked excitedly.

   “No, but hopefully we will soon,” Toujou said. “As I was driving back to the hotel, I noticed a police car parked in front of a house. The owner was standing outside, she looked pretty shaken up. I asked what happened, and she showed me this.”

   She held up her phone, which was opened to a picture of a sidewalk. On it, in dirt, there was a very familiar symbol.

   “This was at somebody’s house?!” Eli demanded.

   “Right outside their front door,” Toujou said. “Freaked the owner about quite a bit, apparently they were very superstitious. The police decided it was just some kids trying to scare them.”

   “But that’s the symbol,” Eli said. “No one else knows about it—I don’t think we even told the police here about it, did we?”

   “No,” Toujou said. “Which makes me think that we might have the next victims here.”

   Eli paused. Her heart was racing with the excitement of such a huge development, but something didn’t sit quite right with her. “But why?” she asked and Toujou looked surprised. “Why do this? It doesn’t match the killer’s MO, first of all. This is way too public of a stunt for him. If it’s the same guy, like you say—or someone imitating him—any sort of 'warning' he gives about the killings is direct and purposeful, while it looks like we’ve just sort of stumbled upon this by accident.”

   “I see what you mean, but even if it’s not the same guy as the last murder, these people could still be in danger,” Toujou said. “It might be another copycat. Or, maybe he’s working with the killer. I think it’s worth investigating.”

   “… Interview the subjects and stake out the house?”

   Toujou smiled. “You read my mind.”

\--

   A lengthy and uninteresting interview with the homeowners who had been the victims of the vandalizing revealed little more than an irrational fear of curses and a well-decorated living room, but the owners were insistent that Eli and Nozomi keep an eye on the house that night, to which they obliged.

   The car’s digital click turned to 1:00 AM and Eli leaned against the headrest of the car. Agent Toujou was in the passenger’s seat, snoring quietly. Her watch didn’t start until 1:30, which couldn’t come fast enough. Her limbs ached. She glanced quickly at Agent Toujou, who was sound asleep. A quick walk would do her wonders.

   Taking care not to wake her partner, Eli opened the car door and got out, then shut the door quietly behind her. She wouldn’t go far—in fact, she had wanted to see the symbol again for herself. Agent Toujou and herself had given the owners very strict instructions not to remove the symbol, and to leave it as in-tact as they could. Eli was relieved to see that they had listened.

   She knelt down, and pinched a bit of the dirt between her fingers. It had been much fresher when they arrived on the scene earlier; now, it was a pasty tan color. In the faint light of the porch, Eli noticed something dark poking out from underneath the dirt. She frowned, and shifted aside some of the dirt. There was a hair. It was a dark violet color, and much longer than Eli’s own. A very familiar color, now that she thought about it.

   Eli felt a sudden sickness wash over her, and had to physically clamp her hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming out loud. This was Toujou’s hair. Underneath the symbol. She had planted evidence, she had lured Eli out here.

   But why?

   Eli was far too blinded by her own rage to give it any more thought than that; she stood up and realized she was shaking violently. This was really, really too far. The pen thing, maybe, MAYBE, she could have imagined, but this time, she had evidence, and she was not in the mood to forgive. It explained everything—the strange M.O., Toujou’s excitement, the coincidence by which Toujou had stumbled across it in the first place.

   She wrenched open the car door with absolutely no mind to Agent Toujou, who was still asleep. She started awake, and her eyes were barely open before Eli could no longer contain herself;

   “You BITCH,” she hissed. “How could you? Are you insane? Of course you are, you believe in _sirens_ for fuck’s sake.” Eli was so furious her voice was beginning to crack. “And, I mean, you know what, everyone’s a little bit eccentric in their own way, but _planting evidence?_ Are you really ready to lose your career? Do you not realize that’s a crime? A FELONY? Do you know you can go to JAIL?”

   Her voice had risen to almost a scream, and Agent Toujou looked absolutely bewildered. “Eli, what are you talking about?” she said.

   “THIS,” Eli said, holding out the hair she’d found. “THIS is what I’m talking about, I found YOUR hair UNDERNEATH the dirt symbol, which means YOU put it there! YOU planted evidence! You lied to me!”

   “Eli, wait, you don’t know—“

   “OH, I KNOW. I swear to the gods, Toujou, you’d better start thinking of some good excuses, because if I don’t have your head, Nishikino will.”

   “Listen—“

   “NO,” Eli said. “No, I absolutely will NOT listen! But you know who will?! The homeowners, when I tell them that this is all BULLSHIT!”

   Toujou’s eyes widended. “Eli, no—you don’t understand—“

   “I understand _perfectly,_ thank you,” she spat. “Now if you’ll go excuse me, I have some TERRIFIED PEOPLE I have to go reassure.”

   There was something like true fear in Toujou’s face. “Eli, don’t, you need to listen to me—“

   “NO. Goodbye, Agent Toujou.”

   She strode towards the door, and from behind her, Toujou’s voice called out of the car:

   “Eli, DON’T!”

   She was going to yell back, but suddenly, Eli felt her stomach flip. Toujou’s voice was gone; so was the humming of the streetlight, and the buzz of nearby traffic. A loud ringing filled her ears. She looked around wildly, but there was no one there. Or anywhere. The car was gone, and so was Agent Toujou. Eli was alone. There was a noise from in front of her. She looked forward, and screamed.

   A tall figure shrouded in black was in front of her; they might have had a face, but it was far too dark for her to see. Before Eli could process what was happening, she was hit with a force like a truck barreling into her, and it threw her backwards. Her head hit the sidewalk with a crack, and everything was black.

   What felt like seconds later, someone was shaking her.

   “Eli! ELI!”

   Eli opened her eyes slowly; Toujou was looking down at her, white as a sheet.

   “Are you alright?” she demanded.

   “What happened?” Eli said drearily.

   “I’ll explain now, but you have to get up,” Toujou said. “They’re dead, Eli, the two homeowners are dead.”

   Eli sat up so quickly that it made her head spin. “What?!” she cried. “How do you know?”

   Toujou pointed at the door. A three-foot tall square was cut into the lower panels.

   “No,” Eli whispered, and stumbled to her feet. “No, I don’t understand…”

   She jiggled the doorknob, which was still locked. “Mrs. Avidan? Mr. Avidan? Hello?!”

   There was no answer. Eli took a few steps back and kicked through the door, then ran into the house. Footsteps told her Agent Toujou wasn’t far behind.

   “Mrs. Avidan?!” she screamed hysterically. “Anybody?!”

   She ran into the bedroom and doubled over. Toujou was right. They were dead. Blood was still dripping onto the floor from the bed where both of the corpses lay together.

   “How could this happen?” Eli said. She was nearly on the verge of tears. “We were right _there, I was the right there,_ how did this happen?”

   Agent Toujou put a hand on her shoulder. “Eli…”

   “You—“ Eli stammered. “You planted evidence, but, but… I don’t understand, I don’t—“

   “Please, Eli, you’re in shock,” Toujou said. “Go sit down. I’m going to call the police.  I’ll explain everything to you in the morning.”

   Eli nodded listlessly and wandered into the living room, where she collapsed onto a chair. Deep in her mind, the ringing was still there.

\--

   The next couple of hours were a blur for Eli. She was mobbed by a team of paramedics no less than ten minutes after she sat down, but it was determined she had no more than a solid bruise and a couple of scrapes. The police came and questioned them for what felt like days. Eli wasn’t quite sure what to tell them, beyond that she had been attacked. By who—or what—she didn’t know. She also didn’t say anything about Agent Toujou planting evidence.

   Finally, around 3:30, they were allowed to go back to the hotel, and Eli fell asleep the moment she touched the mattress. When she woke up a couple of hours later, Toujou was sitting at the table.

   “Awake?” she asked.

   Eli nodded. “Good,” she said. “Because we have big problems.”

   Eli sat up and rubbed her head, which was still sore. “What happened?”

   Agent Toujou tossed her the morning’s newspaper. Across the front was the headline “NEW ORLEANS AXE MAN RETURNS WITH THREATENING NOTE TO INVESTIGATORS.” Underneath was a picture of the crime scene surrounded by police cars. Eli could just see herself and Toujou in the background. She looked like a mess.

   “Threatening note?” she said.

   “Read the article,” Toujou said.

   _June 4 th—Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Avidan were found dead in their home this morning, the fourth and fifth victims in a string of murders that many are calling the return of the infamous “Axe Man” who terrorized the city of New Orleans almost 100 years ago. While the police have no current leads on a suspect, the New Orleans Sun received a letter today that could be a turning point in the case:_

_New Orleans, esteemed mortals, fellow immortals,_

_By now, you’ve surely heard of my work on your finite world. I have served my time in the pits of Tartarus, and my body has been filled with the warmth that it needs to continue out my tasks here on earth. Attempts to stop me are futile—one cannot stop an almighty force from the pits of Hades such as myself. One more must die.  
   But fear not, for I am in no rush. Those of you who are familiar with my work may recall my fondness of jazz. There is truly no finer city on earth for jazz than New Orleans. So, I will repeat myself from almost a century ago—play jazz music and I shall not claim you._

_And to the FBI Agents investigating this case—by all means, continue. But know that you cannot arrest that which you cannot see._

   “Oh _shit,”_ Eli exasperated. “Does the bureau know about this?”

   “I got a call from Nishikino’s secretary about an hour ago wanting to speak to us, so I would assume they’re informed,” she said. “I told them that you were still sleeping and we’d call them back when you woke up.”

   “Thank you,” Eli said. “Let’s get that over with now. And then—“ she looked pointedly at Toujou, “I want answers.”

   “And you’ll get them,” Toujou said as she pulled up her cellphone. “In the meantime, let’s hope Nishikino is in a good mood today.”

   The phone rang once. “Assistant Director Nishikino’s office, Rhonda Stevens speaking.”

   “This is Agent Toujou, I’m here with Agent Ayase, we need to speak to Assistant Director Nishikino.”

   “I’ll put you through.”

   The phone rang a few more times, and Nishikino’s voice said: “Agents?”

   “Assistant Director,” Toujou said. “I’m here with Agent Ayase.”

   “Good, this is rather urgent,” she said. “I assume that by now, you’ve both seen the letter that was published in the New Orleans Sun this morning.”

   “Yes, we really couldn’t miss it,” Toujou said pleasantly.

   “First, Agents, I want to say that if you feel as though there’s a threat on your lives, you should tread lightly. I don’t want to see either of you hurt.”

   “Of course.”

   “Secondly, I understand that what happened last night was unavoidable, but if you could do your best to keep this story away from the media, it’d be for the better,” she continued. “This is beginning to get more personal than we’d like.”

   “Understood, director,” Toujou said cheerfully. “Anything else we can do?”

   “Solve the case.” Even through the phone, Eli could hear the restraint in Nishikino’s voice. “And don’t die.”

   She hung up, and Toujou tucked the phone back in her pocket.

   “I think that went well, don’t you?” she said.

   Eli wasn’t sure where to start with that statement. “… We can deal with Nishikino later,” she said. “In the meantime, you owe me an explanation. What the hell happened yesterday?”

   Toujou sighed. “I’m sorry it had to come to this, Eli. But you weren’t listening to me, and I was sure I’d be able to nail it last night.”

   “What are you talking about?”

   “This killer,” Toujou said. “Eli, listen to me. It’s not human. These letters aren’t the writings of a schizophrenic, they’re one-hundred percent genuine. I have good reason to believe that we’re dealing with a full-fledged demon here.”

   _Oh, not this again,_ Eli thought. “And what leads you to that conclusion?”

   “Same reasons I had before,” she said. “The voodoo, the symbols, the blood, the timing of the cases, the letters—and how else do you explain what happened last night?”

   Eli bit her lip; she didn’t _have_ an explanation for what had happened that night. At first, it seemed as though she had been hallucinating—but it had all been so _real._ And how could she have missed the killer, when they had to have walked right by her?

   “I can’t,” she said firmly. “I don’t know what happened last night. But if it is some sort of demon, how do we deal with it?”

   “An exorcism, I’d say,” Toujou said.

   “An exorcism?” Eli said skeptically. “Don’t you have to be a priest to perform one of those?”

   “I am.”

   “The hell you—“

   Before she could finish her sentence, Toujou had whipped out her wallet and produced a small black card.

_Nozomi Toujou_

_Licensed minister of the Second Heart Catholic Assembly_

_Registration date: 11/5/2004_

_Secondheartcatholic.com_

   “… Oh.” Eli said. “You’re Catholic?”

   “No, but they don’t have to know that,” Toujou said simply. “Point is, I have the registration. Although, I think we may need to consult with some experts.”

   “Experts?”

   “I worked a case about a hundred miles from here back in 2005,” Toujou said. “I met a woman named Ambrosine who was a heavy voodoo practitioner. She helped me out on the case, and in exchange, I helped her out of some trespassing violations. She moved here a few years back.”

   “And you think she can help us?”

   “Oh, I know she can,” Toujou said. “You’ll like her Eli.”

   “I’m sure I will…”

\--

   Ambrosine’s home was a top-floor apartment on the outskirts of the city. The entire building was rather shady, and Eli had a feeling that their suits and authoritarian attitude was not scoring them any points with the residents. Toujou led the way, and stopped at an apartment with a bundle of lavender hanging from the doorway.

   “Protection,” Toujou said before Eli could ask. She knocked twice, and there was a shuffling from inside. The door opened, and an elderly lady was standing in the frame. Her skin was a pleasant ochre color, and wrinkled like the bark on a very old tree. She had fluffy white hair, and amber eyes that shone like honey. Eli was a bit taken aback.

   “Nozomi!” the old woman croaked, and Toujou bent down to hug her. Her voice was ancient and crackled, but just as smooth and sweet as her eyes. “It’s so good to see you again, dear. Have you been doing well?”

   “Yes, I’ve been keeping out of trouble,” Toujou said with a wink. “How about you, Ambrosine?”

   “I’ve been staying out of trouble, too, after that incident last time I saw you,” she said. “I keep meaning to write you, but it just gets buried. I adore the letters you sent me, though. And what lovely flowers! You’re such a charmer, Ms. Toujou.”

   Nozomi smiled, enthralled by the woman’s presence, and something about her drew Eli in as well. There was a genuine friendliness about her that made Eli trust her almost instinctively.

   Ambrosine caught sight of Eli, who had been hovering behind Toujou. “And who’s this?”

   “Oh, this is my partner, Eli Ayase,” Toujou said.

   Ambrosine looked surprised. “Your partner?” she asked. “You didn’t tell me you’d found yourself a lady friend!”

   Eli choked, and Toujou barely stifled a laugh. “No, no, Ambrosine, this is my FBI partner,” she said, grinning uncontrollably. “We’re here on business.”

   “Well, don’t just stand there, come in,” she said, ushering them into the apartment. “ _Mon Dieu_ , Nozomi, you should have said so in the first place.”

    Inside the apartment was coated in junk—antiques from all over the world and every period in time, dried plants hanging from the ceiling and walls, vials of unidentifiable liquid, statues, and leather pouches of all shapes and sizes. Eli could hear something bubbling on the stove, and when she took a breath, almost choked under the weight of incense that filled the room.

   “I’m glad to see you never tidied up,” Toujou said pleasantly. “I like it like this.”

   “So do I,” Ambrosine said. “Much easier to find what you’re looking for when everything’s out.”

   She swiped a pile of papers off an antique wooden table, and sat down in a matching chair. “Tell me, agents, what can I help you with?”

   “I suppose you’ve heard about the Axe Man cases?” Eli, who had been silent thus far, asked.

   The old woman’s face darkened. “Oh, I sure have. There’s dark things afoot, Ms. Ayase, very dark things.”

   This did not particularly make Eli feel better. “I think you’re right, Ambrosine,” Toujou said seriously. “Just the other night, Agent Ayase came face to face with it. Eli?”

   Eli recounted her strange encounter from the previous night. With every detail, Ambrosine’s face became stormier and stormier. When Eli finally finished with the description of the bodies, Ambrosine slammed her hands down on the table, startling them both.

   “I knew something was rotten,” she said. “Absolutely knew it. Tell me your theory, Nozomi.”

   “Demon, Ancient Greek, probably a Ker,” Toujou said like she was reciting a grocery list. “Particularly mischievous one, so probably a rogue. Just enjoys fucking with humans.”

   “Spot on,” Ambrosine said, standing up from the table and snatching a leather pouch. “Which means that you’re going to need a demon’s trap, which I trust you to take care of yourself.”

   “Should be fairly simple,” Toujou said plainly. Eli was lost.

   “You’ll need holy water, some anointing oil, a cross, and maybe olive branches for good measure,” she continued, throwing things into the bag. “And Nozomi, I’m going to make you a little protection bag just in case.”

   “You’re far too kind to me, Ambrosine,” she said with a smile. “Would you be interested in some graveyard dirt for a hex bag?”

   Ambrosine paused. “… How fresh is the dirt?”

   “Burial couldn’t have been more than a few days ago.”

   “Alright, but don’t you get fancy with me!”

   Eli turned to gape at Toujou, who looked like this was all just a quick trip to the grocery store. “What the hell…?”

   Toujou just smiled at her, and pulled a bag of dirt out of her bag. Ambrosine took it, opened the bag, and sniffed its contents suspiciously. Apparently, it met her standards, because she smiled and tucked it away in a little cupboard over the table.

   “Anything specific, dear?”

   “Uh, no,” she said. “Surprise me.”

   That sounded like the worst idea Eli had heard in a long time, but whatever made Agent Toujou happy, she supposed. Ambrosine tossed down a small leather pouch on the table.

   “Poppy seeds, rat bone, and a bit of cinnamon oil,” she said. “Everything else is a secret, but you’ll need to add the personal effects yourself. And remember not to use it for at _least_ a week.”

   “Yes m’am,” Toujou said, tucking it into her jacket. She saw Eli staring at her and winked.

   Finally, Ambrosine appeared with a plastic Target bag filled with who-knows-what. She handed it Agent Toujou, who peered inside, and beamed.

   “Thank you so much, this is excellent,” she said. “I’ll have it all back to you before we leave.”

   “You’d better!” she said, more joking than threatening. She stood on her toes to give Toujou a hug, and before Eli could react, had encircled her as well.

   “Be _careful,_ and don’t forget to come see me before you leave,” Ambrosine said, bracing herself on Agent Toujou a little. “I’m counting on you two.”

   “The two best people for the job,” Toujou said proudly. “Be careful, Ambrosine.”

   “You too, Nozomi. And tell the Vigilante I said hi, too.”

   Toujou chuckled. “I will.”

   “… Who are the Vigilante?” Eli asked as they walked downstairs.

   “They’re friends of mine,” she said. “A couple of very eccentric computer geeks. I feel as though we’ll be running into them much sooner than later.”

   Eli didn’t know what that meant, but she decided it was an adventure that could wait for another day.

\--

   When they returned to the hotel, Toujou tossed the plastic bag down on her bed, and promptly followed it.

   “If we want to make this work, we’re going to have to find the next victims,” she said, her voice slightly muffled by the comforter.

   Eli frowned. “Actually, that’s something else I was wondering about,” she said. “How did you know who the victims would be last night?”

   “I have my ways,” Toujou said flippantly and Eli felt herself twitch involuntarily. “Anyways, Eli, that’s going to be step two today.”

   “That’s fine, but if we’re going to be holed up all day, let’s at least order some takeo—oh!”

   Eli pulled her phone out a little too quickly, and it slipped from her hand, and under the bed. She knelt down to retrieve, and as she slid her hand under the bed, it touched something grainy. She quickly pulled her hand back out; the tips of her fingers were stained with dirt.

   “T—Toujou…” Eli stammered.

   She looked up. “Eli?”

   “There’s… there’s…”

   Toujou got up off the bed and knelt down next to Eli. She extended her arm underneath the bed as well, and returned with a small handful of dirt. For a moment, she let it sift through her fingers, then she look at Eli.

   “I have to hand it to you,” she said, almost grinning, “you did just make our job a whole lot easier.”

   Eli gaped at her, terrified. “We need jazz music. Now.”

   “Well, hold on, Eli,” Toujou said. “This could be our chance.”

   “Our CHANCE?” Eli demanded. “Toujou, are you—“

   “Crazy?” Toujou interrupted. “Probably. But Eli, this might be our only chance to catch this thing. It’s nearly impossible to predict how it moves, but it’s going to come _right to us.”_

“It’s going to right to _me_ is more like it!” Eli cried defensively. “YOU’LL be fine!”

   “Relax, Eli,” Toujou said. “The plan is to get rid of it before it can do any harm to you.”

   “See, that seems a lot easier said than done.”

   “Don’t worry,” Toujou said. “I’m an expert.”

   Something about that seemed _very_ untrue to Eli, but there was no sense in arguing with Toujou. Out of the plastic Target bag, she pulled out two cans of green Silly String, something Eli had been mobbed with more than once as a child. She pushed Eli’s bed out from the wall, and without disturbing the dirt symbol on carpet, sprayed a circle around where it would have sat. On top, she sprayed a star and an array of symbols Eli didn’t recognize, making a somewhat-lopsided pentagram on the hotel carpet.

   “Did you… seriously draw a pentagram in Silly String?” Eli asked, a little in awe.

   “Well, it’s actually a devil’s trap, but you’ve got the idea,” she said. “And the Silly String, well… sometimes you just have to make do. Help me move the bed?”

   They carefully replaced Eli’s bed back over the symbol, which was practically hidden by bed. Toujou went back to the Target bag and pulled out a pair of wooden crosses.

   “You should probably wear one of these two,” she said, handing one to Eli. “Olive wood.”

   Eli took the necklace, and Toujou threw herself onto the bed. “So…” Eli said. “… What now?”

   Touou shrugged. “We wait and see.”

   That’s what Eli had been afraid of.

\--

   The time was slowly creeping onto 1:00 AM and there had been no sign of whatever demon Toujou expected to show up. In the meantime, Eli hadn’t slept a minute. Every time her eyes closed, she saw the image of the figure who had confronted her the previous night. The more she looked at it, the more she could swear it looked human, but her mind was too clouded by anxiety and fear to make it out.

   “Maybe try to get some sleep, Eli,” Toujou said.

   “Not sure how you expect me to do that when there’s potentially some _demon_ on its way to murder me…” Eli muttered.

   “Because I’m here,” Toujou said calmly. “And honestly, Eli, do you think I would let anything hurt you?”

   She was quiet for a moment. “No.”

   Toujou smiled. “So get some rest.”

   Eli settled down into the covers, calmed. The only sound in the room was the steady crinkle of the pages of Toujou’s book as she read. It wasn’t long before Eli found it much easier to close her eyes.

   She swore it had only been a second, but suddenly, the room became very cold. Eli shifted a little under the covers, and sat up.

   “Mmmm… Toujou…” she murmured. “Turn the air conditioning down, will you? It’s an icebox in here.”

   There was a pause before she heard Agent Toujou say, “Eli… the air conditioning is off.”

   Immediately, Eli was awake and alert. Toujou was on edge as well—her book sat abandoned on the nightstand.

   “Is it—“ Eli started, but Toujou hushed her.

   There was total silence. Slowly, the same ringing as the night before began to fill her ears, and every muscle in Eli’s body involuntarily tightened. The room grew colder and colder, until Eli swore that the blood would freeze in her veins. Something dark obscured her vision, and she screamed. It had become so cold and the ringing was so loud, Eli couldn’t hear herself think—

   Someone grabbed her under the arms, and the ringing stopped. She hit the ground hard, and scrambled upright. Toujou had dragged her off the bed, and was now standing behind her brandishing a container of salt like a battle axe. Eli looked back at the bed, and gasped.

   There was a man looming over the now-empty bed. In one hand, he gripped a massive axe—the handle was rotting wood and full of holes, but the head was shiny silver. He had wild brown hair and a gaunt face. His eyes turned to Eli, and they shivered. They were a piercing green, but there was something—not human about them.

   A click came from behind her, followed by the smell of smoke. Eli whipped around, and Toujou was standing behind her, holding a bundle of sage.

   “Are you crazy?!” Eli said. “The—the smoke detectors--!”

   “Disabled,” Toujou said. “Stand back, Eli.”

   She took a few steps towards the bed. ““God, whose nature is forever merciful and forgiving…”

   “There’s no jazz,” the man said. He sounded disappointed.

   “…accept our prayer that this servant of yours…” Toujou said without flinching. “…Bound by the fetters of sin, may be pardoned by your loving kindness.”

    He looked Eli directly in the eyes. It was like staring into a bottomless pit; her stomach tossed and turned, and her mind seemed to be floating eons above her body. “I was at least hoping for a show before I have to leave.”

   “Holy Mary, pray for us,” Toujou said louder. “Holy virgin of virgins, pray for us. Saint Peter, pray for us. All holy angels and archangels, pray for us…”

   Toujou continued the list. After she passed “Saint Gabrielle” the man collapsed on the bed. He attempted to crawl towards them, but it seemed he was trapped within the symbol Toujou had drawn on the floor.

   “From all evil, deliver us lord,” Toujou continued. “From all sin, from sudden and unprovided death, from the snares of the devil…”

   The man let out a terrible scream that rocked Eli to the cores of her being. Toujou didn’t stop, but her voice grew very loud.

   “Depart, then, impious one, depart, accursed one, depart with all your deceits, for God has willed that man should be his temple!”

   There was one final scream that seemed to be let out from the earth itself, and the man grew limp. A blast of cold air knocked Eli backwards onto the other bed; then, there was silence.

   When she opened her eyes, the man was still lying on the bed. Eli rushed up to him and put two fingers to the side of his neck.

   “… He’s dead,” she said quietly.

   Toujou came to stand beside her; “I wonder who he was.”

   “Some poor soul,” Toujou said. “It doesn’t surprise me that it took a human vessel.”

   “You know we’ll have to say that he’s the killer, right?” Eli said.

   “Price we have to pay,” Toujou said. “Maybe it’s a good thing this was his last night. Imagine going to jail for something like this. Imagine living with it."

   Eli didn’t answer, but stared sadly at the body on the bed. Toujou put her hand on Eli’s shoulder; “I’m going to call the authorities,” she said, and Eli nodded.

   Far in the distance, a dog was barking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nozomi got her license online.  
> Anyway, there it is! I can't WAIT for you guys to see what's next. I'm extra excited for it. Y'all gonna be seeing some new faces!!!!  
> Well. Not new. But new here.  
> Anyway--did you enjoy the chapter? Tell me! I want to hear your every thought. Comment here or send some kudos my way, OR you can message me at sailor-rinn on Tumblr! Tell me what you loved, tell me what you hated, tell me about what you're doin' in school, or just say hi.


	5. Unmanned Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli was never a big fan of change. There were some things that she felt were just supposed to remain as they were. Unfortunately, similar to death and taxes, change is inevitable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I'm spoiling all y'all with frequent updates. I was on vacation this week, so I had a lot of time to write. I got most of the next chapter done too... It does give me a comfortable head start. Anyway, I hope you guys like this one. Disclaimers at the end notes.

_The truth is like an animal. It is elusive an unpredictable; try your whole life to trap it, and you may never succeed. Catch it, and you have cornered it. Cornered animals, however... do tend to bite. You may not like what you find._

   Since their arrest of the Axe Man—who turned out to be a man named Caleb O’Hare—Eli had returned to a little bit of the fame and recognition that she had been used to when she’d first made a name for herself in the FBI. Nishikino herself personally congratulated her and Agent Toujou (though, perhaps a bit begrudgingly on Toujou’s part) and other agents had stopped and praised her for her work on the case. Eli felt a bit guilty, knowing it was mostly Toujou’s work, but figured they didn’t need to know—she couldn’t lie, she _did_ like the attention.

   Toujou had become a little more personable as well, coming out of her basement office more than just for coffee and bathroom breaks. When Eli had come in that morning, she had been bouncing off the walls about some strange happenstance in the middle of the Arizona desert, and Eli thought Toujou was going to explode if she didn’t listen.

    “It could be revolutionary, Eli!” she was saying. “It could change science and technology, even human understanding, forever!”

   “That all sounds wonderful, but I’m still not entirely sure what it is you’re talking about,” Eli said, amused.

   Toujou took a deep breath. She’d been doing a lot of talking with not a lot of air. “Alright, Eli,” she said. “Do you know what the Roswell Incident was?”

   Eli thought for a moment. “Oh, _no,”_ she exasperated. “Not _aliens.”_

“Yes, aliens!” Toujou exclaimed. “Eli, just listen to this.”

   She jogged to the other side of the room where a map of the US hung on the wall, and pointed to a spot somewhere in Arizona. “Late last night, a UFO crashed somewhere in the Arizona desert. Now, the military doesn’t know about this yet, but by this time tomorrow—9:17 AM—or earlier, they’ll already have it cleaned up. There won’t be a single trace of evidence left. If we don’t get there before they do, then they’ll bury the truth.”

   “So, if the military doesn’t know about this,” Eli said carefully, “how is it that you do?”

   Toujou suddenly looked a bit nervous. “I… received an email this morning from an unnamed informant.”

   “An unnamed informant?” Eli said. “How do you know that they’re not making this up?”

   “Trust me, that was my first thought,” Toujou said. “But, I know a group of people who can find out.”

   “Who?”

   “Did I ever mention the Vigilante to you?” Toujou asked, throwing papers around her desk.

   “Um… vaguely,” Eli said, picking up a couple of fallen files. “Ambrosine mentioned them.”

    “Well,” Toujou said, “I hope you like computer geeks, because you’re going to meet a whole bunch of them.”

\--

   Less than an hour later, the agents pulled up to a remote building on the outskirts of the city. Toujou led Eli to the back door, which she swore was made out steel, and knocked three times.

   There was silence for a moment, then a whirring from above them that made Eli jump. A camera was pointed in their direction, and Eli watched as the lens zoomed in and out on their faces.

   “Who’s there?” a woman’s voice asked.

   “Umi, it’s me,” Toujou said, a little exasperated.

   “… Who’s with you?”

   “This is Eli Ayase, she’s my partner,” she said. “We have a case for you three.”

   “…”

   The camera retracted and a few seconds later, Eli heard the sound of many locks clicking. There was a beep, and the door opened to a woman in her 20’s. She had blue-black hair that brushed her waist, with thin lips and suspicious eyes.

   “… Password?” she said.

   “Umi, there isn’t a password, let us in,” Toujou said.

   She straightened up and opened the door wider. “Sorry, Rin’s been making us do this. She thinks the military’s out to get her squid casserole recipe or something.”

   Toujou stepped inside, and Eli followed her, just in time to hear a high-pitched voice yell:

   “It’s not my squid casserole, Umi! You know full well I’m on the edge of a breakthrough for a cure to the common cold.”

   “She’s been saying that for three years,” Umi said quietly.

   Inside, the building was stacked head to toe with junk. There were computer monitors from every year since 1995 laying around the desks, hundreds of folders, endless wires, even what looked like a lab complete with ventilation set up in the back. A sign across the wall read “THE UNITED VIGILANTE.”

   As she was taking it all in, another woman appeared. She seemed a few years younger than Eli, and she had short hair that was a violent orange. Her eyes betrayed her as someone with boundless energy; she wore a t-shirt that spelled out “I LOVE SCIENCE” in elements of the periodic table.

   “Nozomi! You’re back!” she exclaimed “… Who’s this?” she said, looking at Eli.

   “Rin, this is Special Agent Eli Ayase, my new partner,” Toujou said, gesturing in her direction. “Eli, this is Umi Sonoda and Doctor Rin Hoshizora, respectively. They’re old friends of mine.”

   “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Umi said politely, shaking Eli’s hand. They exchanged quiet smiles.

   “I didn’t know you got a new partner!” Rin said, bouncing up to Eli. “What happened to your last one?”

   “I scared her off,” Toujou said jokingly. “Anyway, Umi, where’s Kotori?”

   “Making sukiyaki,” Umi said. “She’s been on a spice kick lately.”

   Eli hadn’t eaten sukiyaki in _years._ Just hearing the word made her mouth water. “I wish we had more time to stay for dinner,” Toujou said. “But we’re here on a pretty urgent matter. Have you heard about the craft that went down in Arizona?”

   “Murmurings of it,” Umi said. “I figured you’d be asking about that at some point.”

   “Do you think you can track where it crashed?”

   Umi looked at Toujou with a gleam of determination. “I know it.”

   Something brushed against Eli’s leg and she looked down. A white cat with light brown spots was rubbing against her calf; it looked up and meowed at her.

   “Oh, I’m sorry,” Eli said, reaching down to pet it. “I don’t have any food for you.”

   “Captain Snuggles!” Rin said, scooping the cat up into her arms and kissing its nose. “Don’t bother our guest!”

   “Oh, he’s not bothering me,” Eli assured her. “I quite like cats.”

   Rin gaped at her. “You do?”

   “Yes, actually, I have a black and white one at home named Socks.”

   From behind her, Toujou and Umi were rapidly shaking their heads. _Don’t do this,_ Toujou mouthed.

   “That’s… GREAT!” Rin cried, dropping Captain Snuggles and seizing both of Eli’s hands. “Come on, you have to meet my FAMILY! Oh, you’re going to LOVE Konata and Lord Blueberry, and Bean, and Mr. Snuffleupagus and Sir Whiskers-san…”

   She dragged Eli, who had been giving Toujou a very distinctive look, towards the back of the room. Toujou waved heartily before turning back to Umi.

   “Godspeed, Eli,” she said. Umi laughed.

\--

   Eli never thought her limits as a cat person could ever be pushed, but Rin was more dedicated than she could ever hope to be. Tucked away in a large room off the main house was a room completely filled with cats. There were black cats, white cats, fat cats, skinny cats, old cats, young cats, friendly cats, means cats, angry cats, hairless cats, every kind of cats Eli could possibly imagine. They all appeared to go in and out of the room through a small cat door in the back wall.

   “H—How do you manage to take care of all of them?” Eli said, struggling to detach a black and white tomcat from her pants leg.

   “Oh, most of them are strays,” Rin said. She grabbed the cat under the front legs and he released Eli’s pants. “Sasuke, really. Behave. Anyway, I just put out food for them and they all come in and out as they please. I give them all their shots myself, so I rarely need to take them to a vet.”

   “Right, Toujou said you were a doctor. What do you have your degree in?”

   “I have my PhD in chemistry,” she said. “I ran track in college, and I was supposed to be in sports medicine, but I ended up with the Vigilante.”

   “What is it that you all do?”

   “We publish a magazine,” Rin said absentmindedly. “Here.”

   She picked up a volume from August 2009 off of the floor which looked like it had been chewed on. There was a blurry picture of two men on the cover with the headline “NIXON AND BUSH PLAN NEXT 9/11—AN INSIDE LOOK ON AN INSIDE JOB.”

   “You’re—conspiracy theorists,” Eli said, somewhere between surprised and amused.

   “No, we’re truth-hunters,” Rin said stubbornly. “A lot goes on behind the scenes that most people don’t know about. We just do our best to tell them what’s really going on when no one else will.”

   She was so earnest about it, Eli couldn’t bear to argue with her. Fortunately, she didn’t have to, as at that moment, the door opened, and someone else walked in.

_This must be Kotori,_ Eli thought. She was also in her twenties. Her face was round and friendly, with big, warm brown eyes, and light brown hair tied up in a messy bun on top of her head. Her cheeks were flushed red from cooking, and she wore a little white apron over very seventies jeans and a lace vest.

   “Rin-Rin, I brought some of the leftover meat for the kitties,” she said. She noticed Eli and her mouth formed a little round “o.” “Who’s this?”

   “I’m Eli Ayase,” she said helpfully. “Nozomi is my partner.”

   “Oh, it’s nice to meet you!” Kotori said. “I’m Kotori Minami, the resident non-scientist. Umi is my wife.”

   “Non-scientist? How did you end up here?”

   “That’s quite the story,” she said with a bit of a laugh. “Maybe when we have some more time. But, in a nutshell, Umi and I met in Vegas one weekend, and, well—I guess it was like the old cliché, love at first sight!”

   Eli had only met Umi for all of about five minutes, but she couldn’t imagine a situation in which the strict-mannered, formal Umi would find herself in Vegas. “That’s wonderful,” she said genuinely. “It’s incredible that you two were able to meet like that. What do you do with the United Vigilante?”

   “Keep it from going to pieces, really,” Kotori said, placing the dish of meat down on the floor. “Someone has to make sure Rin and Umi eat something other than microwave noodles and leftover squid casserole.”

   “My squid casserole could cure cancer!” Rin said defensively; her voice was muffled by a cat rubbing against her face.

   “Of course it could, dear,” she said patiently. “But besides keeping everyone in line, I also do the layout and design for the publications. Rin and Umi are brilliant at science, but they have all the artistic talent of a serving spoon.”

   Rin looked like she was going to protest this as well, but at that moment, the door opened, and Toujou poked her head in.

   “Eli!” she said excitedly. “Come quickly, I have something you’ll want to see.”

   “I’ll be right there,” Eli assured her. She turned back to Rin and Kotori; “It was great meeting both of you. Also, Rin, Commander Mittens is eating the drywall.”

   Rin gasped and ran to the other side of the room to scoop up the tabby. “Commander, you are in direct violation of your superior!”

   Eli followed Toujou out the door, where Umi was perched over a laptop. “Nozomi, I hope you have a bag packed, because I just booked both of you tickets to Tucson.”

   Even Toujou looked surprised. “How did you do that? I couldn’t have had that much money in my account.”

   “I just went through your FBI account,” Umi said flatly.

   While Eli gaped at her, Toujou just shrugged. “Well, I guess that means I won’t have to deal with Nishikino.”

   She took a seat next to Umi, and bewildered, Eli stood behind them. “Alright, Eli,” Toujou said. “According to Umi, the ship’s crashed somewhere southwest of Tucson. Or, at least, something has. It doesn’t look like there’s any army or government vehicles nearby, but I can’t imagine it’ll be very long before they get there.”

   “Toujou, what are you even looking for?” Eli said. “What is it you expect to find? Aliens? The cure to the common cold? Elvis? What’s the point of this?”

   Toujou and Umi looked at each other for a moment. “We have a theory,” Toujou said. “That the government has been secretly conducting authorized experiments on civilians for an unknown purpose.”

   Eli frowned. “Well, that wouldn’t be anything new. Remember Massachusetts? You said yourself that mass-test trials have been done on unknowing subjects.”

   “Yes, but this would go much deeper,” Umi said.

   “How could it go any deeper?”

   Umi and Toujou paused for a moment. “We’re… not sure yet,” Umi said. “But, we hope that this ship can give us some answers.”

   “And if Director Nishikino asks what we’re doing?”

   “Tell her we were following a lead on a murder in Tulsa,” Toujou said flatly. “Umi’s got the whole thing covered.”

   Eli shot Umi a bit of a look, and Umi shrugged guiltily. “I owed her a favor.”

   “And you _always_ come through, Umi,” Toujou said happily. “So, Eli, now that Umi’s gotten the coordinates, all that’s left to do is find the ship for ourselves. You keep a bag packed, right?”

   “Yeah, but—“

   “Great, then we can be right on our way,” Toujou said. “Umi, thank you. You always come in clutch.”

   “You’re welcome,” Umi said, somewhat begrudgingly.

   Toujou looked at Eli. “Ready?”

   Eli was about to protest—who would take care of Socks?—when the door flew open, and Rin’s head appeared.

   “Are you guys leaving?!” she said.

   “Yes, unfortunately,” Toujou said. “We’d stay longer, but it doesn’t look like we have much time.”

   “Not even for lunch?”

   Eli really wanted them to have time for lunch. “Not even for lunch,” Toujou said. “We’ll have to catch you next time.”

   “Oh, Rin,” Eli said suddenly. “Would you be okay with taking care of my cat while we’re gone?”

   Rin’s face lit up like a fireworks display. “Yes!” she cried. “I’d love to!”

   Toujou gave Eli a half-smile. “Here’s the spare key to my apartment,” she said, handing it to Rin. “He’s very friendly, I promise.”

   “I’ll take awesome care of him!” Rin said eagerly.

   “Wait, wait before you two go!” Kotori’s voice said. “Here!”

   She appeared from the kitchen carrying two plastic containers filled with rice and sukiyaki. “Nozomi’s a great agent, but she can’t cook to save her life.”

   “Thank you,” Eli said, unable to stop smiling. “This is exactly what I needed.”

   “Of course,” Kotori said, smiling as well. “Be careful, you two!”

   “We will!” Toujou called over her shoulder. Eli gave the Vigilante one more quick smile, and followed her out the door.

   “You know,” Toujou said as they sat down in the car. “That was awfully nice of you to let Rin take care of Socks. I think you’ve made her entire week.”

   “Well, I did hesitate for a moment,” Eli said. “But she’s so earnest about things, and if she’s an old friend of yours, I thought that it would be easier than trying to find someone else last-minute.”

   “Rin loves cats more than she loves sports,” Toujou said, “and she used to be a state champion runner. In fact, I’m pretty sure she loves cats more than life itself. And I think you’ve officially passed the Rin Hoshizora sniff-test.”

   Eli let an exasperated smile slip. “Great.”

\--

   The Reagan airport was as busy as ever, and Eli was grateful she was able to find an empty seat to eat in. The sukiyaki Kotori had made was mouthwatering; whatever she’d marinated the meat in was tangy and delicious. She made a mental note to mention it to her next time she saw the Vigilante.

   “Now boarding U.S. Air flight 420-A to Tulsa, Arizona,” a voice over the intercom said. “We will begin boarding with our priority passengers, please come to the Skyclub lane with your passes ready.”

   “That’s us,” Toujou said. She had been sitting across from Eli, also working on the sukiyaki. “Have your badge out, too, Eli.”

   They went up to the desk and flashed their FBI badges at the attendant. She nodded, and allowed them to go before the rest of the line, much to some of the passenger’s dismay.

   “It’s not like they won’t get on the plane,” Eli said quietly as they walked down the gangway.

   “Everyone’s a critic,” Toujou said.

   They sat down, and the rest of the plane filled around them. As the safety briefing began, Eli slowly zoned out, but a jab from Toujou brought her quickly back to earth.

   “Don’t turn around, but we’ve got eyes on us,” she said quietly.

   “What do you mean?” Eli said.

   “Row 20D, white guy with the ugly necktie,” she said. “Pretend you’re going to the bathroom.”

   Eli nodded and stood up. She began making her way towards the back of the plane, and as she passed row 20, took a quick look at the passengers.

   One was a lady in her 20’s, who was staring absentmindedly out the window; the other was a middle-aged man dressed in business casual. He did have a particularly ugly necktie, but other than that, Eli wasn’t sure what Toujou was so upset about, until she realized he was wearing an earpiece.

   The man turned his head, and for a brief moment, he and Eli made eye contact. Then, his eyes darted to Eli’s waist where she kept her gun, and he lingered for a moment before turning back to the seat in front of him.

   Eli quickly hustled into the bathroom, and shut and locked the door. _Maybe it’s just a coincidence,_ she thought. _Agent Toujou is just being paranoid. He could just be hard of hearing._

She unlocked the door and began back to her seat. As she passed row 20 a second time, she took another look at the man, and noticed a very thin, translucent chord passing from his ear to underneath his collar. Eli wouldn’t have even noticed it if she hadn’t been looking.

   He was wearing a wire.

   “What the hell is going on?” Eli hissed as she took her seat next to Toujou.

   “Someone knows we’re looking for this thing too,” Toujou whispered back. “They’re hoping we’ll lead them to it.”

   “How have they not found it already?”

   “Umi scrambled the signals on all their satellites,” Toujou said, unable to mask a hint of amusement in her voice.

   The Vigilante were more capable than Eli had first thought.

\--

   When the plane landed in Tulsa at 2:00, Eli was still vaguely on edge. She couldn’t lie, the incident with the man on the plane had really sparked her nerves; as much as she wanted to help Toujou, she wasn’t ready to risk her job, or for that matter, her life.

   “Hungry, Eli?” Toujou asked as they got into the rental car.

   “No, Kotori’s sukiyaki was really filling,” Eli said. “Umi’s lucky she has someone who cooks like that.”

   “Trust me, Umi’s lucky to have Kotori for a _lot_ of reasons,” Toujou said. Her voice made it sound like she was joking, but Eli felt like there was something more serious behind her tone.

   “How did you all meet, anyway?”

   “Umi, Rin, and I met at an IT conference back in 2007 when we were still in college,” Toujou explained. “Kotori came about six months later, when we were in Las Vegas for one of Rin’s track competitions.”

   That explained the Vegas part, Eli thought. “When did they get married?”

   “The week after we graduated college, actually,” Toujou said thoughtfully. “And oh lord, was that a weekend.”

   “What happened?”

   Toujou grinned. “Ever seen ‘The Hangover?’”

   “When it first came out, yes. Wasn’t really my sort of movie. Why?”

   “Where do you think the idea first came from?”

   That sounded like the kind of story Eli wasn’t ready for. “I think you’ll have to tell me that some other time.”

   She laughed. “We don’t have time, anyway. Poor, poor Umi…”

   _Poor Umi, indeed,_ Eli thought.

\--

   Eli put her things down on the hotel bed as Toujou brushed her hair in front of the bathroom mirror. The hotel room they were in wasn’t particularly large, but Eli noted that they didn’t seem to spend a lot of time in there, anyway.

   “Oh, I left my phone in the car,” Eli said, realizing it was no longer in her pocket. “I’ll be right back.”

   Toujou made an “mmm” noise, and Eli left the room. No sooner had she closed the door, when she heard a slam from across the hall, and the room across from them fell silent, sans the quick click of the lock.

   Eli stiffened and backed up against the wall. _Maybe I’m just being paranoid,_ she thought.

   _But maybe not._

   She slowly opened the door, then slammed it shut with as much force as she could muster, and moved out of view of the adjacent room’s window. A couple of seconds passed, then the curtain began to shift, and someone peered out of the window. Eli recognized the obnoxiously-patterned tie in an instant; it was the man from the plane.

   Eli pounded on the hotel door, and the man disappeared. No one answered. She tried again, to the same end, and decided that she’d better tell her partner.

   “Toujou,” she said as she opened their door, “the man from the plane—he’s across the hall from us.”

   Toujou dropped the hairbrush she was holding, and quickly turned around to look at Eli. “What?”

   “He was watching us,” Eli said. “I saw him.”

   “… We should get out of here,” Toujou said. “If he knows where we are, he might know our car too.”

   Eli nodded, and together, they ran downstairs, making sure they quietly shut the door on the way out. Toujou launched herself into the front seat of the car, while Eli stopped at the wheel.

   “What are you doing?” Toujou said. “We’ve got to go!”

   “Just hold on,” Eli said. She knelt down and patted her hand around the metal above the wheel. He fingers found a tiny metal dot, and she pulled. It came right off.

   “Look,” she said, holding it up to Toujou. “A GPS. Attached to the car.”

   Toujou stared at for a second, surprised. “… Nice job, Eli.”

   They tore out of the parking lot, just as the man came running after them. “Get into traffic,” Eli instructed. “Maybe a main road or highway.”

   Toujou nodded and steered them into a busy street leading downtown. They wove in and out of traffic for a few minutes before Eli was able to relax.

   “How did they find us?” she said. “How did they even know we’re looking for the ship?”

   “The moment I booked our tickets, they knew,” Toujou said darkly. “My reputation precedes me.”

   “Are you saying this is Nishikino’s doing?”

   “Possible, but unlikely,” Toujou said. “I think she’s just a pawn in this. I bet that other woman has a hand in it.”

   “The twin-tail woman?”

   “Exactly,” Toujou said. “I don’t know who she is, but she’s a part of this.”

   Eli frowned. What did Toujou know about this woman that she wasn’t telling her? It was clear to Eli that Toujou had been keeping a lot of secrets since day one, but now they had really reached the breaking point, especially after the case in New Orleans. Toujou had never given her a solid explanation as to how she was able to figure out that the killer would appear at the house. Or, a solid explanation for much of anything, really. She’d been assigned to this unit to figure out what Toujou’s secrets were, but it seemed like she was even further away from discovering the truth than when she had started.

   “I already plotted the coordinates on a GPS,” Toujou said, bringing Eli back to the present. “It should take us about three hours to get there. Do you think we’ve lost whoever was following us?”

   Eli turned around and squinted out the back window. There didn’t appear to be anyone behind them.

   “I think we’re good,” she said.

   “Great,” Toujou said. “In that case, Eli, lean back, because this could be a while.”

\--

   Somewhere within three hours later, Eli watched in silence as the wheels of the car kicked up dust, speeding through the desert. She hoped that Toujou had brought an extra tank of gas, because they were miles away from any kind of civilization.

   “… You’re sure we’re going the right way?” Eli asked.

   “Positive,” Toujou said. “You should start seeing it within a couple of minutes.”

   “Mmm,” Eli said. She looked over at Toujou; “Say, Toujou.” She looked up. “Why are you so set on finding these people anyway?”

   “… I guess I have sort of a personal vendetta against them,” she said.

   “Like what?”

   “Well, I don’t much care for liars,” she said. “And I mean, it’s my job to protect people, isn’t it?”

   Again, Eli got the sense that there was something Toujou was holding back from her. She wasn’t going to press the issue anyway, but at that moment, something appeared on the horizon line.

   “I believe that’s it,” Toujou said, barely concealing the excitement in her voice.

   Eli squinted at the shape on the horizon; the top of a triangle was poking a hundred feet in the air. There wasn’t much else to see, but Eli wasn’t sure how anyone could have missed it. _I guess Umi was pretty thorough with those satellites._

It took them another ten minutes to reach the ship, and when they did, Eli let out an audible gasp. It was the size of a jetliner, all smooth, reflective black metal. There were lights at each corner of the triangular body, and an entrance directly at the bottom.

   “It’s like something out an alien movie,” she said, awestruck.

   “You would never have believed it if you didn’t see for yourself, huh?” Toujou said.

   Eli shook her head, still unable to believe it _now._ Toujou stopped the car underneath the ship, and they both got out. Something crunched underneath Eli’s feet, and she looked down. The sand was littered with glass.

   “Well, whatever happened, this thing hit the ground with enough heat to melt the sand,” she said, putting a small piece of glass into her pocket.

   “It’s a miracle it’s still intact,” Toujou said. She paused; “Eli, come look at this.”

   Eli walked over to where Toujou was examining an entrance; the door was open and sand had gathered at the frame. “There are footprints,” she said, pointing to the shiny metal. “The crew survived the crash and escaped.”

   “That’s _impossible,”_ Eli said. “You saw how hot this craft came in, it probably fried everything within a mile.”

   “It’s not _impossible,_ it’s just _very unlikely,”_ Toujou said and took a step inside the ship. She extended a hand to Eli. “Coming?”

   Still somewhat reluctant, Eli accepted Agent Toujou’s hand, and allowed her to pull her inside the ship.

   The hallway was dimly lit by fluorescent bulbs, most of which were destroyed, and coated in white tile. Somewhere, a faint humming was vibrating the ship. Rows of doors stretched down the hall.

   “… Where do we start?” Eli said.

   Toujou squinted down the hallway. “I’m… not sure. Let’s just walk.”

   Eli followed her, and they opened the first door on the right. Inside were bunk beds; many of them were unmade.

   “Looks like they left in a hurry,” Eli commented.

   “Crash must’ve happened fast,” Toujou said and stooped down to pick up something off the floor. “Forgot their glasses.”

   She waved a pair to Eli, then tossed them back into the room. “Move on?”

   Eli nodded, and they tried the one across the hall. It was also bunks, but it didn’t look like anyone had been living in there. The next one was locked, as were two more on the left. The rest of the doors seemed to lead to more crew areas; a kitchen, still relatively well-stocked, a bathroom, a break room. Nothing stuck out to Eli until she noticed a red symbol above a door further down the hall.

   “Biohazard sign,” she said, pointing to it. “Something’s in there.”

   They walked up to the door, and Eli placed her hand on the knob. “Stand back,” she instructed Toujou. “We don’t know what’s in there.”

   Toujou nodded and stood behind Eli, her gun out and loaded. Slowly, Eli pulled open the door; there was a faint beeping coming from inside the room and the smell of formaldehyde. Nothing else.

   Eli looked at Toujou and nodded. They burst out from behind the door and into a room that Eli was sure came from someone’s nightmare.

   Tanks large enough for her sit comfortably in lined the room. Most of the overhead lights had gone out, so the room was only visible by the glow of two dozen or so monitors, and a soft green light that was emanating from each tank, inside each of which there was a fetus, floating suspended in solution. Wires and tubes covered the tables, many of which were somehow attached to the babies, who all appeared asleep. The beeping came from a heart monitor in the center, the only one that still appeared to work.

   “What the hell is this?” Eli said softly. She was too horrified to find her voice.

   “Your guess is as good as mine,” Toujou said. “Do you think I’m being paranoid now?”

   Eli shook her head soundlessly. Her curiosity was much stronger than her fear, however, and she moved forward into the room.

   She began examining one of the fetuses floating in the tanks. It looked like a normal human child; however, upon closer inspection, Eli realized that the green light was coming from _within_ the child’s body. A small cluster of what looked like crystals sprouted from its wrist, and let off the eerie light. Eli couldn’t begin to imagine what they were for.

   “Eli, have you seen their wrists?” Toujou said from across the room.

   Eli nodded. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” she said. “It looks like the crystals are a _part_ of them somehow, like they’re growing right out of their bodies.”

   Toujou didn’t say anything for a moment. “Eli, let’s get out of here.”

   Eli was all-too-eager to get out of the lab, and followed Toujou without another word. They slammed the door shut, and Eli let out a shuddering sigh.

   “That was _horrible,”_ she croaked.

   “Try not to think about it too much,” Toujou said. Eli knew she was trying to be helpful, but the truth was, she was doing a terrible job of it.

   “Let’s just move on, alright?” she said.

   They continued down the hallway, until Eli spotted another door marked with the biohazard symbol.

   “Look,” Eli said, pointing to it. “If there’s a lab in here, I want to find it.”

   Toujou nodded and followed her inside. As Eli had hoped, it was a lab. There was shattered glass on the floor, and much of the equipment had been broken; however, it still seemed to be in useable shape.

   “Do you think I have time to try and figure out what those crystals are?” she asked.

   Toujou smiled. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”

   “Excellent,” Eli said. She snatched up a pair of gloves, some tweezers, and a petri dish off of one of the tables and handed them to Toujou. “Can you go get me a sample of those crystals? I need to try and sterilize what I can.”

   “Right away, doctor,” Toujou said pleasantly, and disappeared out the door. Once Eli was sure she was gone, she collapsed into a chair and lowered her head into her hands.

   _Oh, what have I done? What have I done? Where am I? What’s happening? How can_ _this be real, how can any of this be real?_

She took a deep breath, nearly on the verge of tears. _I’ve relied on the law for almost twenty-nine years, and in less than 24 hours, I’ve learned it’s all a front. This can’t be real. It just can’t._

Eli took another deep breath, this time to calm herself down. _No. No, that’s not true. I’m overreacting. It’ll be alright. We don’t even know if this the U.S.’s doing yet. The truth is in here somewhere._

She must have been lost in thought, because just then, the door opened again and Agent Toujou came up to her holding a plastic bag.

   “I couldn’t get the crystal off with the tweezers, so I just brought you the whole package,” she said, throwing the bag down on the table.

   “The whole package?” Eli said. “What are you--?”

   Eli let out a disgusted noise as she peered inside the bag and realized that Agent Toujou had brought back the entire fetus with her.

   “Great,” Eli said flatly, wiping her eyes, which were watering from the smell of chemicals. “Thank you, Toujou, I think that’s all I need for right now.”

   “Always happy to help,” she said pleasantly. “Anyway, Eli, I’m going to keep poking around. Good luck.”

   Eli murmured something like “thanks,” and Toujou left. Trying not to look at the now-deceased fetus, Eli pulled a scalpel out of the drawer and began to work on the crystal. Toujou had been right; they were hard, but brittle, and after a couple minutes of hacking, Eli managed to cut one off. She dumped it into the petri dish, and was about to get a microscope, when she heard a vibrating come from the dish.

   The crystal had begun to shake, and right before Eli’s eyes, spun rapidly and reappeared fully formed. The bottom, which had been rough and jagged when Eli pulled it off, was now nicely rounded.

   “Incredible,” Eli whispered, picking up the crystal and turning it over in her hand. “In a matter of seconds…”

   She placed back in the petri dish, barely able to contain herself, and grabbed a microscope from a nearby table. Her scientific curiosity was now far more powerful than her initial fear, and if med school had proved anything to Eli about herself, it’s that once she got started on something, she didn’t stop.

   To her delight, the microscope still worked fine when plugged in, and Eli placed the dish containing the crystal underneath the lens. The 20x and 100x lenses showed nothing. Frustrated, Eli sat back in her chair. She needed to get a closer look; the oil microscopy lens was her last choice. She’d need to get a piece of the crystal small enough to submerge.

   She took the scalpel and a pair of metal tongs, and began to strike at the crystal. Finally, a tiny piece flew off, just small enough for Eli to use. However, before she could grab it, it began to spin. It grew to half an inch; then an inch; then two inches; then four inches. In under a minute, the crystal had reached five inches long, even bigger than the piece it had originally come from.

   “So much for the Law of Conservation of Mass Energy,” she said miserably. _Maybe there’s a way to fix it._

After spending twenty minutes digging through cabinets, Eli found formaldehyde and PBS, along with a few other chemicals, and set to work on a fixative that would keep the crystal from regenerating. It was fairly basic, she thought, but hopefully, it would still work.

   She used the scalpel and tongs again to break off a piece of crystal, and before it could move, she scooped it onto the slide and poured the fixative overtop of it. As she’d hoped, the crystal didn’t move.

   Eli breathed a sigh of relief, and dug out some oil from one of the drawers, dripping it on top of the slide, and placing it underneath the oil lens.

   The crystal, as it seemed to Eli, was not just a crystal. It appeared to be a living organism; now that she could view it under the microscope, she could see thousands of individual cells frozen in action; but they weren’t like any cells Eli had ever seen. She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen out of her bag, and began to write down her observations:

   _July 2 nd_

_Discovered a strange crystal-like substance onboard a crashed plane. Or, not really a plane, but some sort of UFO. NOT the alien kind.  
_ _Appears to be organic in nature, possibly parasitic, growing on its victims’ wrists. Able to regenerate at unbelievable speeds. Upon closer inspection, the cells have many mitochondria and protein channels, only a few sodium channels, and virtually no ribosomes. The lack of ribosomes leads me to believe this is a very simple life form, but its regeneration properties are not found in any organism I know of._

   Eli returned back to the table, and powered down the microscope, putting aside the slide for later. She returned to the crystal that had formed off of her original sample. Using her scalpel, she made an incision on the wrist of the fetus, and pipetted up a couple milliliters of blood. She placed it into a petri dish, and set the crystal down next to it. As soon as the crystal touched the blood, it bonded like a magnet, covering the sample with tiny green offshoots.

   _It’s transferred through blood contact,_ she thought. Suddenly, the door burst open, and Eli jumped.

   Toujou appeared, eating what looked like a peanut butter sandwich. “I found the kitchen,” she said helpfully.

   “You’re _eating?”_ Eli demanded. “At a time like this?”

   “This is the perfect time to eat,” she said. “Any progress on the crystal?”

   “It’s some kind of living creature,” Eli said, looking back at her sample. “I’m not sure what it does yet, though.”

   “Is it dangerous?”

   “Again, not sure,” she said. “But I wouldn’t touch it, just to be safe.”

   Toujou nodded. “Anyway, Eli, I think I passed an office on the way here. I’m going to go check it out. Good luck with your science.”

   Eli nodded, returning to the sample. She picked up the crystal that had formed on top of the blood, and turned it over. The blood beneath it had congealed into a gelatin-like consistency.

   _Geez,_ Eli thought. She went back to the fetus, and discovered that the cut she had made on its wrist was all but gone.

   _It’s a catalyst!_ She thought. _It must be something to do with blood clotting and the way skin heals. But why? And how does it work?_

   She took out her notebook:

   _The crystal appears to be some kind of catalyst, speeding up blood clotting and healing. Judging by the amount of mitochondria and protein channels inside of the cells, I would say that it has an insanely high metabolism that allows it to generate ATP fast enough to speed up the clotting at least a hundredfold. It’s really unlike anything I’ve ever seen, but I can’t know anything for sure until I get it back to a real lab._

She set the notebook aside and returned to working on the crystal. As she reached for the dish, her finger brushed the sharp edge of the crystal and tore through the rubber of the glove, into her skin. Eli gasped, and when she could pull her finger away, there was a burst of pain as a patch of green crystals erupted from underneath her skin.

   “Oh no,” she said. “Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh SHIT…”

   She needed to find Toujou. Now.

   Eli ran out of the lab and through the halls, shouting Agent Toujou’s name. After about a minute, there was the sound of footsteps, and Agent Toujou herself burst into the hall.

   “Eli!” she cried. “Eli, what’s wrong?!”

   “It—it’s the—the--!” Eli stuttered, holding out her hand. Before she could stop her, Toujou grabbed her hand, right where the patch of crystals had appeared. Toujou yelled, stumbling backwards and looking at her hand as a similar mutation appeared on her right palm.

   “Eli, what the hell is this?!” she cried.

   “I don’t _know,”_ Eli practically sobbed. “Why did you touch me, why did you have to grab my hand?!”

   “I was just trying to see what was wrong!” she said. “What the hell is happening to us?!”

   “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know,” Eli said. “It’s s-some kind of virus, or a catalyst, I don’t know what it is.”

   “How do we get rid of it?!”

   “I don’t KNOW!” Eli screamed. “Toujou, I have NO IDEA what the HELL is going on, okay? Okay?”

   “Ok, let’s just—calm down,” Toujou said, taking a deep breath. “What do we need to do?”

   Eli also took a moment to breathe. “What time is it?” she said. “We need to know time.”

   Nozomi looked down at her watch. “It’s a quarter past nine,” she said. “What does that mean?”

   “It means you came in contact at approximately 9:15, and me at 9:13,” she said. “And it means that if this thing spreads as fast as I think it does, we need to find a cure _now.”_

“That’s actually what I was coming to find you about,” Toujou said, holding up a file. “It’s not a cure, but you’ll want to see this.”

   Eli took the file, wincing as it brushed against the crystals on her index finger. It looked like mostly financial jumble, but printed in a very light blue ink under the text on every page was a familiar symbol. An uppercase “P,” framed by two circles.

   “I’ve seen this before,” Eli said. “I know I have.”

   “We both have,” Toujou said. “Somerville, Massachusetts.”

   “Somerville, Massachusetts,” she said quietly. “Wait… Prometheus… Prometheus Water…”

   “Was a front,” Toujou said. “For something much, much bigger.”

   “Are you saying that the Prometheus company is behind all of this?”

   “It would make sense, wouldn’t it?” she said. “I mean, a mysterious company shows up in a small town and the residents start dying under odd circumstances. We discover they were clearly poisoning the water with something, the whole operation disappears. We find their logo again here, along with another unknown disease, they’re behind this somehow.”

   “So Prometheus is a conspiracy to create some sort of drug, or a weapon,” Eli said thoughtfully. “And clearly, they’re working with the government as well. But what? A new, incurable disease? A new life form? A cure to an existing disease? Some sort of bioweapon?”

   “Maybe, but for right now, we’ve got much bigger problems on our hands,” Toujou said, looking down. “Literally.”

   Eli looked down as well, and to her horror, realized the crystal formed a line almost halfway down her finger.

   “Where’s it spreading to?” Toujou asked.

   “I don’t know,” Eli said, panicked. “All I know is that it’s a catalyst that speeds up regeneration and blood clotting.”

   “… Let’s get back to the lab, then,” Toujou said. “Maybe you’ll be able to figure something out there.”

\--

   Every second that ticked by, Eli could swear she felt her heart beat slowing a little. Extreme situations were her weakness—she got too excited and ended up panicking. But this was something in her range of expertise—or, at least partially. Diseases, she could handle. This one, however, was certainly something new.

   Eli was examining her finger, which was slowly growing stiff from the line of crystal that trailed down the center. She took a long look at her own hand, then back at the fetus’, then back at her own. The crystal formations were virtually identical, except that while the fetus’ only seemed to appear at its wrist, Eli’s was spreading throughout her whole hand.

   She suddenly remembered the incision she had performed earlier on the infant. Perhaps, she thought, if she were to cut herself, she would heal in the same way. Eli picked a scalpel up from the table, and sliced the back of her hand. It began to bleed, but nothing else happened. She waited another minute, to no avail.

   “Toujou,” she said, and her partner looked up. “Come here for a moment.”

   Eli handed her a clean scalpel. “Nick the back of your hand with this.”

   Toujou gave Eli a very confused look, but didn’t argue, and gave herself a small cut on the back of her hand. Just like Eli’s, it bled with no discernable change in clotting time.

   “… What was that about?” Toujou asked.

   “Watch this,” she said. Eli took the scalpel and cut another incision in the fetus’ arm. The two agents watched as the cut began to scar, and healed itself within a minute.

   “Holy shit,” Toujou said. “Why aren’t we doing that?”

   “I don’t know,” Eli said. “Maybe it’s got something to do with the fact that the host is deceased.”

   “So we should try it on the live fetuses?”

   Eli sighed. “As sick as that sounds, I suppose it’s our best choice.”

   Agent Toujou nodded, and Eli grabbed a syringe and a couple of small items before following her out of the door.

   “… Do you think this is life-threatening?” Toujou asked. “These crystals?”

   “Well, they’re not really ‘crystals,’ they’re some sort of parasite,” Eli said. “And, to be honest with you, Toujou, I would bet they are.”

   They walked in silence the rest of the way. When they returned to the specimen room, Eli barely repressed another gag. Most of the fetuses in the tanks were close to fully-formed, and it made her a little uneasy.

   “Let’s get this over with,” Eli said. She selected one of the tanks towards the front, and used the tubes to bring the fetus to the surface. From what she could see, it was still alive, and Eli cut a little slit in its arm. It shifted in pain, and she nearly passed out. Fortunately, Agent Toujou put a hand on her shoulder to steady her, and they both watched as the cut healed just like before.

   “…There must be something we’re missing,” Eli said. “I’m going to take a blood sample.”

   She pulled out the syringe, and began to work on drawing a sample. “Agent Toujou,” she said thoughtfully. “Where did you find those papers?”

   “There’s an office not too far from the lab,” Toujou said. “Filing cabinets from floor to ceiling.”

   Eli withdrew the needle full of blood, and placed a cap over the top. “I think that should be our next stop.”

\--

   Toujou led Eli through the crashed ship to an office maybe fifty yards from the lab. It was mostly dark, except for one overhead light, and all the computers were smashed. However, there appeared to be a large amount of meticulously kept files, which Eli hoped would give her some sort of insight onto what the hell was going on here.

   “The file I showed you came from over here,” Toujou said, pointing at a cabinet near the back wall.

   “Thanks, but I don’t think finances are what I’m looking for,” she said. “See if you can find anything about this disease.”

   Toujou nodded, and began rifling through filing cabinets. Eli followed suit, and as she opened the first drawer jam-packed with papers, realized this was going to be a very slow process.

\--

   It was now 11:18. Eli wasn’t sure just how long she and Agent Toujou had been at it, but she was positive it wasn’t beneficial to waste time picking through files. She and Toujou had dissected about ten drawers worth of paper, and hadn’t found anything helpful. Currently, Eli was on her second drawer of patient files, which, although interesting, hadn’t told her anything about a cure for whatever it was they had.

   _Thomas… Thomason… Thompson… none of these mean anything to me._

She sighed, ready to give up, when something caught her eye. In the very back of the filing case was a folder that looked different from the rest. It was thick and worn, like it had been pulled out multiple times. Across the top, a name was stamped in black ink:

“ _TOUJOU, NOZOMI.”_

Eli’s breath caught in her throat. Without making a sound, she reached down, and pulled the folder out of its drawer. She glanced to her right to make sure Toujou was occupied, then opened it.

   The folder was filled with everything a doctor would want to know about Nozomi Toujou, and possibly some things Toujou didn’t even know about herself. There were pictures of her as a child in Japan, sonograms, records of her birth and mother’s pregnancy, medical history, dental scans, x-rays, her school report cards—essentially, it was a perfectly-kept record of Toujou’s life up until the age of about twelve, where it dropped off completely. On the very last page, where most of the words were blacked out, a red X obscured the paper.

   When Eli found her voice, she softly lowered the folder to the floor and said: “Toujou?”

   “Yes?” Toujou’s voice said.

   “There’s… there’s a file about you in here.”

   Silence pierced the room for what felt like ages to Eli. Finally, she heard Agent Toujou shift from beside her.

   “There is?”

   She didn’t sound surprised, or angry, or scared, or any of the things that Eli expected her to sound like. In fact, Eli felt she sounded rather sad.

   “It’s… it’s all about you,” she said. “Your medical history, pictures of you, pictures of your mother… Toujou, what is this?”

   Toujou didn’t answer. She looked dismally down at the ground, then back at the wall of filing cabinets.

   “Eli,” she said softly. “I know it’s an old cliché, but…” she heaved a long-suffering sigh and turned to Eli with a sympathetic smile. “There are things you don’t know about me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: technically, no, fixatives generally do NOT work like this. Ideally, what you see here could probably be done with epoxy, but that's not likely to be in a lab, and it'll make sense soon. In the meantime, allow me to stretch the limits of science for the sake of imagination.  
> Anyway, remember when I said there wouldn't be cliffhangers? Cool, neither do I.  
> Fear not, the agents aren't out of commission just yet. There's still a lot left to discover...  
> Shoot me a line at Sailor-rinn.tumblr. I crave human interaction.  
> (PS: you know the "unnamed informant" in the beginning of the chapter? Remember that. This won't be the last we hear from them.)


	6. Unmanned Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli had a bad feeling that change was going to become a constant in her life. Ironically.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UGH hello everyone it is me I am back. It's been a very long month since I last saw all of you, but thank you for sticking around!! Here we have Agents Toujou and Ayase, cornered on a ship, where secrets are hiding around every turn........

   Eli leaned back, suddenly frightened. Toujou looked at her sadly from across the room, her eyes searching Eli’s face, trying desperately to read her.

  “Like what?” she said. Her voice was quiet with fear.

  “Eli,” Toujou said, turning up her hands so that her palms faced Eli. “I’m not a traitor. I’m not one of them.”

   “… Then why are you in here?” Eli said; she inadvertently found her hand drifting towards the gun at her waist.

   “Listen to me,” Toujou said calmly. “Eli, I’m going to move towards you, okay? Please don’t be afraid, I’m not going to hurt you. Just let me explain.”

   Slowly, Eli placed her hands back into her lap, and Toujou crawled towards her. She got about six inches in front of Eli before sitting cross legged on the floor; she turned her head, and began to part her hair. When Eli looked closer, she saw a scar, just above her right ear. It was so faint that Eli might not have even noticed it if she hadn’t been looking.

   “… What happened to you?” she asked.

   “Do you ever wonder how I’m able to solve all my cases?” Toujou said quietly. “Of course you do, that’s why you were sent here in the first place. Eli, look at me. I can see things that other people can’t.”

   Eli frowned, afraid. “L—Like what?”

   “Like the past,” Toujou said. “Things that happened in a room or around an object. Do you remember the pen that you saw me steal in the first case we went on together? Back in Wisconsin?”

   She nodded soundlessly. “I lied to you, I did steal it. I’m sorry, but you would never have listened to me. It’s how I knew Patricia was involved, how I knew she took the spices, how I knew _everything._ Or in New Orleans, how I knew the killer wasn’t a copycat. It’s how I put together profiles, how I solve cases, how I got into the FBI in the _first_ place.” They made eye contact again, and Toujou’s dark irises locked onto her own like homing missiles. “I know you’re thinking that none of this can possibly be true.”

   Eli gasped and stumbled backwards, but Toujou pursued her. “I know that earlier, you were worried about Rin feeding Socks too much because he likes to beg for treats, it’s how I knew you had a chubby cat named Socks in the first place. I know that you forgot to call your mom yesterday, and when you were in the lab earlier you were wondering if you’d ever get the chance to do so again.” She paused. “… I know you’re scared of me now.”

   The very air itself seemed to be vibrating about Eli. Toujou had been right, she’d been right about everything, down to how Socks had gotten so chubby in the first place and that she wanted to tell her mom that she would be free that weekend for lunch, then about her dark fears in the laboratory. But it wasn’t possible, it just wasn’t, there was no way she could have—

   “Oh, it’s very, very possible,” Toujou interrupted. “But hear me out, I can explain.”

   “No, no, no,” Eli said hysterically. “You need to stop that right now. Stop telling me everything I’m thinking.”

   “Sorry,” Toujou said apologetically. “You didn’t believe me.”

   “Well, I believe you now,” Eli said, still in borderline hysterics. “And I need you to STOP, I can’t handle all of this. How, Toujou? How the HELL are you reading my mind?”

   “That’s where the scar comes in,” Toujou said. “I was adopted as an infant after my parents were killed in a car crash, in which I suffered massive head trauma and barely survived. At least, that’s what my record says.”

   “… And what do _you_ say?” Eli said.

   “Several years ago, I received information from an unknown person that claimed I was originally part of an experiment conducted by the government to develop a group of children who has ESP,” she explained. “I was unsuccessful. Instead of killing me, however, I was given up for adoption. Now, I want to find who did this to me and why. That’s why I joined the FBI, that’s why I was so suspicious of Prometheus, I knew it had to be them.”

   “But, why, I don’t understand—“

   Eli winced in pain; the crystal that had been growing on her hand had now reached her elbow, and was pinching the joint.

   “Eli, I promise I’ll explain everything later,” Toujou assured her. “But right now, we’ve got to find a cure for whatever the hell is growing on us.”

   “But—“

   “Your scientific curiosity is admirable, and I respect you for that, I really do,” she pleaded. “And I understand you have questions, but if you don’t figure out how to cure this, we’re both going to die here with no questions answered at all.”

   “Alright,” Eli said after taking a deep breath. “Ok. I can handle this. A cure. We need a cure…” she looked down at the syringe full of blood she had taken earlier. “I need to analyze this. Maybe it can tell us something.”

   Toujou nodded encouragingly, and gave Eli a hand up. As she stood, Eli asked:

   “Toujou, if you really can read minds… what does Assistant Director Nishikino think about?”

   She hesitated. “… Kicking me in the shins, mostly.”

\--

11:47 PM

   Even with as far as modern technology had come, even basic blood test results still took waiting for, and it was clear that Toujou was not in the mood to wait on anything.

   “Eli, are you hungry?” she asked.

   Eli hesitated. She had been so involved in trying to find a cure for their odd affliction, that she hadn’t even noticed how hungry she had gotten.

   “… Yeah,” she said finally. “You know, I had a big lunch, too, but I’m starving.”

   “Well, it has been a few hours.”

   “Perhaps, but I’m not known for my particularly fast metabolism either,” Eli said. “Anyway, if you think you can find something, go for it. I have to keep waiting on these results.”

   Toujou disappeared out the door, and Eli heaved another massive sigh. She had found herself in little holes countless times throughout the day, but this certainly had to be the biggest one yet. Her mind kept shifting between trying to figure out these crystals and her newfound knowledge of Agent Toujou. It became a game of what interested of what happened to interest her more at any given moment—a new organism with superhuman regenerative powers, or her partner, who could apparently read minds.

   Eli let her head thunk down on the table. _Oh logic, how could you have failed me now?_

   But the fact of the matter was that whatever Toujou could do—whether it was the result of some top-secret experiment or just a freak of nature—was very, very real, whether Eli liked it or not.

   “If she’s so psychic, why can’t she figure out what happened here?” Eli muttered, and resolved to ask Toujou this when she returned.

    In the meantime, there was still much work to be done. Eli quickly stood up from her chair, and immediately became lightheaded. She was much, much hungrier than she thought.

   _That’s odd.._. Something felt off. She checked her temperature on a nearby thermometer.

   _105.3?!_

   She had to read the thermometer a few times over before she believed it; she even did the test a few times over again to make sure, but it was fact: her temperature was over 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

   _But that’s impossible!_ She thought. _At 105 degrees, I should be completely incapacitated, if not DEAD._

She checked her pulse as well, which after only a couple of seconds, she realized was up way above normal as well, despite the fact she had been at rest just minutes earlier.

   _What the hell is going on?_

Suddenly, the door opened, and Toujou appeared carrying a loaf of bread, two jars of peanut butter, and an entire box of protein bars.

   “It’s not gourmet, Eli, but it’ll keep us alive,” she said. “What Kotori said earlier is right, I can’t cook for anything.”

   “Thanks,” Eli said, accepting a protein bar. She remembered the question she had meant to ask; “Say, Toujou, you said you can see into the past sometimes, right?”

   “Yes, the past and only the past,” she said. “Not the future, and not what’s happening somewhere else. Why?”

   “Can you see what happened here? Like, why the ship crashed?”

   Toujou frowned. “You know, I was wondering that earlier myself. I can’t. Actually, I can’t see anything here, other than occasional glimpses into your mind. Sorry, sorry,” she said, when she saw Eli glaring at her. “I don’t do it on purpose; it’s more like radio static than it is changing a TV channel. But no, I can’t pick up a single reading here.”

   “I wonder why that is…” Eli said, genuinely curious.

   “I couldn’t even begin to tell you,” she said. “But it’s happened one time before, in Nishikino’s office.”

   Eli frowned as well. “When?”

   “That morning we came in when the twin-tail woman was in there,” she said. “I could hear you thinking, and I could hear Nishikino thinking about her third espresso, but I couldn’t hear anything from the twin-tail woman. It was like her mind was on mute.”

   “Hmm…” Eli said. “Weird.” She looked back over at the bread and peanut butter. “… Could you pass those over here? I’m still so hungry…”

   “So am I,” Toujou said, handing her the bag. “Which is weird, because this is about my fourth sandwich.”

   That reminded Eli of something. “Toujou, here.” She handed her the thermometer. “Check your temperature.”

   Toujou frowned, but did as Eli requested. When it beeped, she took it out, and Eli saw her eyes widen.

   “104.9?” she gasped. “Eli, I’m burning up!”

   “No, no, that’s just it, I am too,” she said. “And my pulse is up. And if you say you’ve been eating more than usual, it seems like our entire bodies have been put into some sort of overdrive.”

   Toujou placed two fingers on her wrist for a couple of seconds, and nodded. “You’re right, mine’s up too. Say, uh, Eli, have you taken a look at your arm lately?”

   “No, why?”

   “You may want to.”

   In the bright light of the lab, the glow wasn’t visible, but when Eli looked down, she saw the row of green crystal had begun spreading down her shoulder, and towards her chest.

   “Where’s it heading?!” she said.

   “I’m going to take a wild guess and say our hearts,” Toujou said, unbuttoning her jacket. Through her shirt, Eli could see the faint green luminance of the crystals making their way down her front as well. “But why?”

   “It’s a catalyst,” Eli explained. “It speeds up blood clotting. Which means, if it reaches our heart…”

   “Then we die,” Toujou said simply. “How long do you think it will take?”

   “No telling,” Eli said. “God, it could be three hours, or it could be twenty minutes.” She was interrupted by a beeping from across the room. “The test results!”

   She rushed across the room, where the printer was spitting out pages of numbers and figures. “Anything?” Toujou asked nervously as Eli scanned the papers.

   “No, it all looks fairly normal…” she said despairingly. “Except for… wait…”

   She shoved a page at Toujou. “Look. Right there.”

   “…Eli, you know I can’t read a word of this,” Toujou said after a moment.

   “The sodium levels in the blood are practically _half_ of what they should be,” she said. “When I was looking at the crystals under the microscope, the cells only had a couple of sodium channels, which means they have a hard time processing sodium. They must have some sort of weakness to sodium!”

   “That’s brilliant, Eli,” Toujou said earnestly. “But where are we going to get sodium?”

   Eli thought for a moment. “The kitchen!” she cried. “There’s got to be salt in there somewhere.”

   “But isn’t table salt technically sodium chloride? Will that still work?”

   “It’s the best we’ve got,” Eli said firmly. “Besides, I don’t know how I feel about injecting straight sodium into my bloodstream.”

   Toujou nodded, and disappeared out the door. Eli heard her running down the hallway, and she turned back to the desk.

   _If I don’t get a Nobel Prize out of this someday…_

Toujou was back in a matter of minutes, clutching a pair of saltshakers; she handed them to Eli, who ripped the cap off, and took out a pinch. She sprinkled it on the crystals growing along her arm. Nothing happened.

   “I didn’t think that would work,” she said glumly.

   “Maybe an injection?” Toujou suggested.

   “I’m not too excited about injecting straight saline into my bloodstream either, but that might be the only option,” Eli said.

   She pulled a glass vial off one of the shelves and began pouring in salt. “Toujou,” she said, and her partner looked up. “Could you bring some water to a boil, please?”

   “Of course,” she said, and put a glass on the heater. “Anything else, doctor?”

   Eli smiled a little bit at being referred to as “doctor.” “Not at the moment, thank you.”

   Once the water had come to a boil, Eli mixed it with the salt, and after it had dissolved, let the solution cool. She took one of the clean needles out of the box, and drew up a syringe full of the saline mixture.

   “Do you really think this will work?” Toujou asked. “Something as simple as salt and water?”

   “We’d better hope it does, because I don’t have another idea,” Eli said, flicking the needle. “I’ll try it on myself first, and then we’ll see what happens.”

   Toujou didn’t object, and Eli stretched out her arm. She pinpointed the spot on her finger where the crystals had first broken the skin and stabbed herself with the needle.

Several rigid seconds passed, then, to Eli’s massive relief, the crystals’ glow began to fade. Their shiny surface faded, and one by one, the stalks crumbled away. It worked all through her arm, and finally ran out of steam as it reached her shoulder.

   “Oh thank god,” she breathed.

   “Brilliant, Eli,” said Toujou. “Here, get some more…”

   A second injection at her shoulder did the trick; the crystals had disappeared, leaving nothing but a small scar on her finger. Eli threw the needle away, and picked up a new one.

   “Here, let’s do you next,” she said, refilling it with saline. “Hold out your arm…”

   Toujou did as Eli said, and rolled up her sleeve so they could both see the crystals’ path. Eli pumped the saline into her hand where the trail began, and after a moment, her crystals began to disappear as well. Like Eli, Toujou needed a second injection, but within seconds, her skin had cleared up entirely.

   “You’re goddamn brilliant, Eli,” she said again. Eli was going to tell her not to repeat herself, but maybe hearing that one or two more times couldn’t hurt.

   “Thanks,” Eli said. “Here, now let’s—“

   _BOOM!_

A noise echoed from deep within the ship. Eli dropped the needle she was holding, and looked to Toujou, who was staring at the door.

   “… What time is it?” Eli asked her quietly.

   “Almost one,” Toujou said. “I knew they’d come within 24 hours, but this fast—“

   “Well, let’s not SIT here then, we have to leave!” Eli hissed. “Come on!”

   She snatched up her notes, and Toujou ran for the door. Just as Eli reached the frame, she skidded to a halt and cried:

   “My SAMPLES!”

   “Eli, there’s no time!” Toujou said.

   “Wait, just let me—“

   Another noise came from outside, closer this time. “Eli, NOW!” she said.

   “Please, I _need_ them—“ Eli practically sobbed.

   Voices came from down the hall, and Toujou grabbed Eli’s hand and dragged her out of the room. No sooner had they escaped down the hallway, than the sound of the laboratory door being broken in crashed through the ship. There was more shouting from behind them, and Toujou steered Eli through a pair of double doors into the kitchen.

   “Here,” she said, opening up one of the cabinets. “Get in, quick.”

   She crawled inside and Toujou followed her, then shut the doors. A few tense moments passed, then, the doors swung open again, and footsteps entered the room.

   “I want every area of this ship searched,” a man’s voice was saying. “Every goddamn nook and cranny, am I understood?”

   “Yes sir,” another man’s voice said. “You heard him!” he shouted, presumably to another group of people. “No one leaves this ship!”

   There was a flurry of footsteps, then a moment of silence. “…. What do you plan to do, sir?” the second man’s voice asked.

   “Get out what we need, and blow it all to hell,” the other man said gruffly. “We’re one misstep away from a disaster, I’m not going to risk exposure. I was already told there had been some meddling going on in the FBI from _Izanami_.”

   “What’s going to be done?”

   Silence. “… Everything possible.”

   The door was opened and slammed shut, and the room was still. Once they were sure no one was around, Toujou opened the door to the cabinet, and pulled Eli out.

   “We have to get out, they’re going to blow the ship up,” she said urgently, and Eli nodded.

   “The exit wasn’t far from here,” Eli said. “Let’s go.”

   They took off running, all too aware of the pounding of their own footsteps being echoed by the soldiers’ from within the ship.

   _If they catch us, I’m getting fired for SURE,_ Eli thought. _Hell, I’ll be lucky if they just fire me. I’m probably going to be KILLED._

After what felt like miles, a light finally appeared at the end of the hallway, and the door appeared. Toujou and Eli practically fell over as they flung themselves out of the ship, and scrambled to get their footing in the desert sand.

   “Where’s the car?!” Eli said frantically.

   “I parked behind the ship,” she said. “Come on, hurry!”

   They flung themselves into the car, which Toujou had parked behind one of the ship’s enormous wheels, and stirred up a dust storm as Toujou slammed the gas pedal into the car floor. The tires squealed and they pulled out from behind the ship, just as someone was coming out of the ship.

   “Toujou…” Eli began nervously.

   “I see him,” she said.

   The man began making frantic movements, and Eli’s grip on the seat’s armrest tightened. “Toujou—“

   “I see him!”

   More people began pouring out of the ship, and pointing at the car.

   “DRIVE, NOZOMI, DRIVE!” Eli shrieked at the top of her lungs. The tires screeched in protest as Toujou urged them to spin faster, and a sandstorm enveloped the racing car. About a minute passed, and when Eli was able to see out the back window, no one had pursued them.

   “Oh thank god,” she said, leaning back in her seat. “I was sure that was the end…”

   Toujou didn’t answer, and they completed the three-hour drive in silence; despite the initial awkwardness, Eli was thankful for a break in conversation. The past twelve or so hours had taken much, much more of a toll on her than she initially thought.

   _A psychic…_ she thought. _My new partner is a Bona Fide psychic. Med school didn’t prepare me for this. I knew I should have taken abnormal psych…_

She stole a glance at Toujou, who was staring intently at the road. _What else are you hiding, Agent Toujou?_

Soon, the roads became more familiar, and Eli knew they were close to their motel. As they turned a sharp corner, Toujou cleared her throat a little, and Eli was jarred from her thoughts.

   “Eli, earlier…” Toujou said. “You called me Nozomi.”

   “O-Oh,” Eli stammered, embarrassed. “I’m sorry, forgive my lapse in formality—“

   “No, no,” Toujou said. “Not at all. I think… I prefer it. You should call me Nozomi more often.”

   An intimate ripple of silence passed between them. For one brief moment, they made eye contact, and Eli felt the sensation of Toujou’s dark eyes looking through her, as though she were made of glass.

   She quickly turned her head back to the window; Toujou’s gaze still weighed heavily upon her shoulders. “… Maybe someday,” she said firmly.

   Toujou laughed.

\--  
Two days later

   “Well, Miss Ayase, I’m glad to tell you that your blood tests have come back perfectly normal.”

   Eli breathed a sigh of relief, and allowed herself to relax into the stiff padding of the office chair. As soon as she and Agent Toujou had returned to D.C., Eli had called her doctor and _insisted_ that they see her as soon as possible, citing an incident with a dirty needle as the issue. Of course, her worries were much more closely aligned with the mysterious substance in the ship, but she figured that detail should probably be kept to herself.

   “There was nothing unusual at all?” she asked, hardly able to believe the news.

  “Well…” the doctor said; Eli’s heart seized up in her chest. “Your sodium levels were a little unusual, but nothing I’d be concerned about. I know FBI life is busy, but maybe ease up a little on the takeout, hmm?”

   She gave Eli a reassuring smile, who forced a weak laugh in return. “Thank you, Dr. Haycook,” she said. “I appreciate you seeing me on such short notice.”

   “Not at all,” she said. “I understand why you were so concerned, but you can rest assured there’s nothing wrong whatsoever.”

   Eli thanked her, and left with copies of her charts. It was a nice change to have some good news; upon their re-arrival at FBI headquarters, both she and Toujou—though, mostly Toujou—received a solid chewing-out by Nishikino over their less-than-real lead. Eli was starting to wonder if Nishikino was thinking about kicking _her_ in the shins; she had resolved to ask Toujou, but upon reconsideration, decided there were some things she just wasn’t meant to know.

   When she arrived back at the office, Toujou was sitting in her chair, leaning back far enough to flirt with danger. Eli set two cups of coffee, one black, one loaded with cream and sugar, on the desk.

   “You’re going to fall if you keep leaning back like that, you know,” Eli scolded.

   “Sorry, mom,” Toujou said without missing a beat. She snatched the sugary cup of coffee off the table, and Eli scowled at her. She tried to look innocent, but Eli could see a playful smirk hidden behind the lid of the cup. “How did your doctor’s visit go?”

   “Well, supposedly, I’m fine,” she said. “Which is a relief. And, a little unexpected, too. I was sure something was going to be off.”

   “That’s good,” Toujou said, inhaling more of her coffee. “Because you’re stuck with me forever now.”

   Eli had been about to take a sip of her own drink, but instead, her head shot up to stare at Toujou. “What?”

   “You know my secret!” Toujou said, pointing to the scar on the side of her head. “You’re the only person I’ve told. I can’t let you go now!”

   “Well… you know I’d never tell anyone, right?” Eli said, frowning slightly.

   “Oh, sure, but it’s better safe than sorry,” Toujou said. “We’re partners for life now.”

   Eli felt herself begin to smile in spite of herself, and wrapped her hands gently around the cup. “Yeah. Partners for life.”

 

_When I began my work at the FBI, I knowingly devoted myself to the discovery, preservation, and distribution of the truth, regardless of whether or not I was fond of the outcome. In this case, I don't. The truth frightens me. The truth that all may not be as it seems, and that the system which I have willingly put my trust in for nearly thirty years has been manipulating me the whole time. However, it is my job. I owe not only to the citizens whom I am to serve and to protect, but to Agent Toujou. I will not rest until the truth is known--even if it costs me the ultimate price in the end._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, let me go ahead and apologize for any not-totally-accurate science you may notice. I am imperfect, but hopefully, this is all at least reasonable.  
> Secondly, a little note about the next chapter: not sure when that's going to happen. Is it going to happen? Hell yeah. May it be a little while? Probably. I leave to go back to university on the 16th, and from there, things will probably be kind of hectic until I get settled in, so I'm sorry if the next update takes a little longer. Let's hear it for junior year!  
> Finally, whenever I write, I like to make playlists that are based loosely upon what I'm writing. Currently, I'm working on one for this work--if you have any song suggestions, PLEASE let me know! It helps me so much to have music to write to. If you have any ideas, hit me up on Tumblr at sailor-rinn. If you don't have any ideas, well, hit me up anyway. I've gotten a lot of nice messages from people, and they really give me so much joy, and assurance that this work is loved. Thank you so much guys, and I'll see you in the next chapter!!!


	7. Rest In Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, the most innocent of us all must pay for the crimes of others with everything we have to give.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so it's a solid week into September, but not TOO bad, right? Sorry guys, university is really kicking my ass this summer. Let me give you a tip: maybe it's more conveniently located, but NEVER take a dorm without air conditioning. It's bad news.  
> Anyway, as always, thank you guys for your patience. I think you're really going to enjoy this chapter! I actually live not too far from the area in question, so I know it pretty well.   
> This chapter is more of a comedy break, but don't worry, we'll return to the action in the next chapter--in the meantime, take a breather. Next chapter will hopefully be up before November, depends on how midterms go.  
> Speaking of this chapter, it's dedicated to Serina, AKA darkangel1236, who originally suggested the theme of this chapter back in July. I hope you're happy with what you've created.  
> And, as always, you can find me at Sailor-Rinn.tumblr.com. Hit me up, fam.

   “I just worry about you Eli, that’s all.”

   It was a warm morning in September; Eli let out a small sigh, and changed the phone to her right hand. “Mom, I’m fine, please don’t worry,” Eli assured her in Japanese. “I have to get to work; I’ll call you tonight, okay?”

   “Don’t you think you work too much?” Eli’s mother asked. “What about a social life? Do you go out at all?”

   “I sometimes go out with my coworkers after hours, but mom, I’m _very_ busy,” Eli said. “What about you? Weren’t you busy with your ballet training when you were my age?”

   “Yes, but I was also looking for a husband!”

   Eli restrained another—much larger—sigh. Marriage had been a consistent topic with her mother since Eli had turned 25. _“You’re getting old!”_ her mother had insisted. _“What if you want to have children someday?”_

    Neither marriage nor children were things that Eli felt she had time to think about at the moment, but her mother was, well… her mother.

   “Mom, we’ve talked about this,” Eli exasperated. “I’m not looking for a husband—“

   “Or a wife, whichever,” her mother interrupted. “Elichika, I just want you to be happy.”

   Eli smiled a bit. “I know mom. I’m happy at work—which is where I _really have to be.”_

“Alright then, alright,” she said. “Promise me you’ll call tonight?”

   “Promise.”

   “Alright, Elichika. Do your best. I love you.”

   “I love you too.”

   She put the phone back into her pocket, and let out a bemused sigh. As much as Eli loved her mother, she did tend to worry a bit too much.

   However, the concerned words of her mother were washed away as she entered the sliding glass doors of the DC office. At work, she always had a purpose; it gave her strength.

   “Good morning,” Toujou greeted her when Eli arrived at the basement office. “Pocky?”

   She held up a chocolate stick, and Eli looked at her with some surprise. She accepted it anyway, and finished it in two bites, washing down the dryness of the biscuit with her coffee. “Thanks,” she said. “I needed that this morning.”

   “Well, then I’d buy a whole box if I were you, because we have a new case.”

   Eli groaned, and Toujou handed her a thick file. “The Ohio Grassman,” she continued. “But, you might know him as Bigfoot.”

   If it weren’t for the fact they were attached to her face, Eli’s eyebrows would have flown right off. “Bigfoot?” she asked incredulously. “We’re hunting _Bigfoot?”_

“Well, actually, in Cuyahoga County, he’s known as The Ohio Grassman, but technically, you’re correct,” Toujou said. “Recently, a string of strange animal deaths has been followed by some disappearances—“

   “And you think Bigfoot did it?” Eli said.

   “Well, yes,” Toujou said, a little sheepish. “That’s my theory, anyway.”

   “And what exactly is it about the incidents that makes you believe that _Bigfoot_ is responsible?” she said.

   “He’s not _Bigfoot,_ he’s the Ohio Grassman,” Toujou said impatiently; Eli restrained an eye roll. “And there has been an increase in sightings lately, up from last year—if you read the file, you’d know all this!”

   Eli sighed, and opened the folder. Inside were photos of a blurry creature that vaguely resembled a man; he stood about seven feet tall, and was covered in shaggy hair. Behind the photos were missing persons reports, almost all of them involving a document from the U.S. Forestry Service.

   “They all disappeared while hiking,” Eli said.

   “Exactly,” Toujou said. “Right in places where the Grassman was supposedly spotted.”

   Eli sighed again, and took another look at the photos. “I dunno, Toujou, this is pretty indistinct,” she said, holding it up to the light. “I mean, this could be a bear, or a trick, or a guy in a suit—“

   “You have to _believe,_ Eli,” she insisted. “There’s more in there too, look.”

   After the missing reports, were police records; multiple local farmers had apparently reported deaths and missing animals, especially cattle. “Again, Toujou, these could be anything… wolves, pranksters, mountain lions…”

   “There aren’t any mountain lions in Ohio.”

   “You know full well what I mean,” Eli said sternly.

   “Then look at it from a scientific point of view,” Toujou said. “Maybe it’s not the Grassman, but _something_ is causing this; what if it’s a new species? Something we haven’t discovered yet? Something YOU could discover?”

   This caught Eli’s attention. “I mean,” Toujou continued, “how great would it feel to be the scientist that saved a city AND discovered a new species?” There was a pause. “And no, I don’t think ‘Elisaurus’ would be an appropriate name.”

   Eli flushed violently, startled; she had forgotten Toujou could read her thoughts. “Stop that!” she snapped while Toujou clutched her sides in laughter. “I was just joking!”

   “Sorry, sorry,” Toujou said. “I’ll cut it out. But, how about it Eli? I know you love the sound of a new _Specifus Eli-tus.”_

Eli frowned deeply. She didn’t want to give Toujou the satisfaction of giving into her teasing, but she was right… her name on a species _did_ sound good.

   “Oh _fine,”_ Eli snapped, slapping the file back on the desk. Toujou was beaming. “What time do we leave?”

   “Flight’s at 1:30!” Toujou said gleefully. “I’ll see you there, Eli!”

\--

   Eli slid her FBI-issued credit card through the machine at the airport Dunkin’ Donuts. Technically, the card was only supposed to be used for gas, hotels, and food _at_ their destination, but she figured Nishikino could spot her a large coffee and a chocolate muffin.

   _Approved, thank you!_ The screen blinked at her, and the cashier handed her the bag. Eli thanked her politely, and set back towards the terminal. Something was nagging in the back of her mind, something she had forgotten to do, but what…

   Suddenly, her phone rang, and Eli grimaced.

   _Mom._

For a moment, Eli considered letting it go to voicemail, but decided that it would only throw her mother into a panic, and picked up.

_“Ohayou gozaimasu.”_

   “Hi, Elicchika,” her mother’s voice said in polite Japanese. “How are you, dear?”

   “Hi, mom,” she said, smiling a little. Maybe she drove Eli a little nuts sometimes, but she couldn’t help but love her mother. “I’m doing just fine. Is this urgent? I’m at the airport, and my flight is going to leave soon.”

   “Where are you going?”

   “Just up to Ohio, we’re going to investigate some disappearances,” she said soothingly. “Mom, what’s wrong?”

   “Well, it’s just that I haven’t seen you in so long, I’ve almost forgotten what you look like!” she said. Eli directed a long-suffering sigh away from the receiver. “Won’t you come eat a meal with your poor mother?”

   “You are _not_ poor—“ Eli began, and bit back her tongue.

   “Don’t talk back to me, Elicchika,” she said. “Now, please—what are you doing next week?”

   “Stopping bad guys, saving the world. The usual.”

   Her mother laughed a little into the receiver. “That’s my Eli.” She pronounced her name with an R, _Eri._ There was something comforting about it. “So, next week?”

   “Yes,” Eli said. “Next week.”

   “Good. Do well on your case, Elicchika.”

   She hung up, and Eli let out a sigh of relief. That took care of her for a little while.

   She walked back to the terminal, where Agent Toujou was sipping an obscenely large Frappuccino. Eli never understood the appeal of paying $6 for a drink when she could get a perfectly good coffee for 99 cents.

   Agent Toujou sensed her arrival, and looked up. “Who was that?” she asked in Japanese.

   “My mother,” Eli said in Japanese as well; she had forgotten that Toujou had grown up in Japan. “She’s a worrier.”

   “I didn’t know you were fluent,” Toujou said.

   “My parents constantly switched between Japanese and English growing up,” Eli said. “I grew up with it. When did you learn English?”

   “High school,” Toujou said. “I decided I wanted to come to America for university, and ended up falling in love with DC.”

   Eli nodded, letting the conversation drop for a moment; she looked to the gaudy pink-and-white concoction in Toujou’s right hand. “… What is that?”

   “Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino,” Toujou said, looking at it. “Do you want to try some?”

   Eli nodded, and accepted the cup from Toujou. She took a sip out of the straw, and recoiled slightly. “Good god, that’s sweet!”

   “That’s the point,” Toujou said, taking a much longer sip.

   “Why would you—“

   Eli stopped when she noticed a couple of people giving her funny looks. She forgot that she and Toujou had been speaking in rapid Japanese for the past couple of minutes.

_I’m a federal agent, you stupid Americans._

Eli realized suddenly that she was also a stupid American and pursed her lips. She briefly remembered what the sheriff back in Wisconsin had said;

   _“Aren’t y’all awfully Japanese for FBI agents?”_

_Jackass._

“So what else do we know about this supposed Grassman?” Eli said, in English this time.

   “Ah, well, you’ve heard all that talk about the ‘missing link,’ I’m sure,” Toujou said, apparently delighted that Eli was taking interest in the subject matter. “Tales of the Grassman go back decades, but he’s actually _not_ the same as Bigfoot. See, supposedly, Bigfoot is a little taller, whereas the Grassman…”

   Eli was happy to let Toujou ramble on about the biological specifics of not-Bigfoot while she sipped her cheap coffee and zoned out. Talking about an X-file made Toujou happy, and caffeine made Eli happy. It was definitely a win-win.

   “…and anyway, that’s basically his entire history. Also, he won gold in the 1972 Winter Olympics. His figure skating form was flawless.”

   Eli didn’t react. “… I know you’re not paying attention, Eli.”

   “W—What?” Eli sputtered at the mention of her name. “Sorry, I was—for god’s sake, you’re doing it again, aren’t you?”

   Toujou grinned. “Dammit!” Eli said. “If you knew I wasn’t paying attention, why did you keep going?”

   “You were thinking really hard about that kitten video that’s been going around lately,” she shrugged. “I thought it was interesting.”

   Eli frowned and folded her arms. “Why can’t you read _other_ people’s thoughts instead?”

   “Oh, I can,” Toujou said. “Do you want to eavesdrop?”

   Eli hesitated. She hadn’t expected Toujou to offer. There was something thrilling about the idea of listening in on other people’s most private thoughts; a forbidden fruit of gross knowledge, maybe.

   “Who am I kidding, I know you do,” Toujou said dismissively. Eli frowned deeper. “Let’s see…” Toujou’s eyes scanned the busy airport, then finally fixated on a middle-aged man sitting across from them. He was wearing an ill-fitting suit, and looked like he hadn’t slept in a couple of centuries.

   “That guy’s cheating on his wife with his best friend,” Toujou said.

   “What’s her name?”

   “John.”

   “No, I mean the friend.”

   “That is the friend.”

   Eli’s mouth formed a little “o” of surprise, and she couldn’t resist a small smile. “Tell me more.”

   “They married for money, relationship went terrible,” Toujou continued. She squinted a little. “He thinks she’s cheating on him, too.”

   “That’s gonna be a mess,” Eli said.

   “Yeah, especially when she finds out that they’re eloping to Canada once he gets to Cleveland.”

   Eli choked on her coffee. “Oh my god. Ok, enough about him. What about that woman over there?”

   She pointed to an elderly lady typing away on an iPhone. “…Talking to her daughter,” Toujou said. “She just had a grandchild.”

   “That’s nice,” Eli said, grateful for a change of pace.

   “Little girl, Elena Rose…” she squinted harder. “She has beef with the husband.”

   “Don’t they all,” Eli said flatly, causing Toujou to chuckle.

   “Personal experience?”

   “Too many sitcoms.”

   The two agents spent the rest of their time gossiping about the people around them. Admittedly, Eli thought, she was _definitely_ freaked out, but Toujou’s gift could be a huge help on cases—and provide a little fun.

   Just as they were giggling over a very squat old man who was thinking about the pretty girl sitting next to him, the loudspeaker announced their boarding, and they made their way towards the plane.

   “You’re _awful,”_ Eli whispered to Toujou, who had just made a wildly inappropriate joke regarding the older man’s genitalia.

   Toujou just winked.

                                                         --

   It was September, and Cleveland was just beginning to chill. Eli did the first button on her suit jacket as she and Toujou exited the airport. Toujou whistled for a cab, while Eli checked her phone, where she’d taken a few pictures of the case files.

   “Alright, first victim is Charles Dawkins, age 30, white male,” she said. “Disappeared two weeks ago while camping with friends, presumed dead.”

   “And the friends?”

   “Say he went to go use the bathroom and never came back,” Eli continued. “Didn’t see or hear anything, reported him missing that night.”

   “What a time to get kidnapped…” Toujou muttered.

   “Definitely not how I’d want to go,” Eli said lightly. “Anyway, looks like three more have disappeared since then. How exactly do you want to go about this?”

   “I’ve contacted an expert,” Toujou said. A cab pulled up, and she opened the door for Eli, who climbed to the far side. She followed, and after giving the driver the rental car address, turned back to Eli. “He says he can help us find him, and possibly answer some questions.”

   “A… Bigf— _Ohio Grassman,_ sorry, expert?” Eli said skeptically.

   “You can be an expert in pretty much anything if you try hard enough,” Toujou said.

   “Fair enough,” Eli conceded. “So where are we meeting this expert?”

   “I’ve arranged for us to meet at a bar tonight around five,” Toujou said. “And, if you do nothing else, _please_ don’t say Bigfoot. He’s a bit touchy.”

   Eli found it a little unrealistic for someone to be “touchy” about not-Bigfoot, but dismissed it. “I won’t,” she assured her. “So we meet the expert tonight, and what, tomorrow we go hunting for the Grassman?”

   Toujou shrugged. “Something like that.”

   “Excellent,” Eli said. “That’s something interesting I can tell my mother at lunch next week. I went Bigfoot—GRASSMAN—hunting.”

   “I’d be impressed,” Toujou said.

   “That says a lot.”

\--

   The place that Toujou had picked out was a little more on the shady side than Eli would have preferred, but she supposed it worked. They sat down, and a waitress took their orders. Toujou began asking for a beer, but a sharp look from Eli stopped her midway.

   “… Anyway,” Eli said once Toujou had ordered a (rum-free) Coke, “just who is this expert?”

   “His name’s Mark Zacharias,” Toujou said. “I found him on the internet.”

   “Ah,” Eli said blandly. “A seasoned professional, I see.”

   “Where else am I supposed to find Ohio Grassman experts?”

   “…Point taken,” Eli said. “When is he coming?”

   “That’s him now,” Toujou said, inclining her head towards the door. Eli looked up to see a balding man in his late 40s enter the restaurant; he was wearing a stained Lebron James jersey with jeans and a worn leather jacket. When he reached the table they were sitting at, he extended his hand;

   “Agent Toujou, so good to finally meet you in person,” he said, shaking her hand. “This must be your partner. Good evening, Agent Ayase.”

   “Good evening,” Eli said, shaking his hand as well. “You’re Mark Zacharias, correct?”

   “That’s me,” he said. “But please, it’s just Mark.”

   He took a seat in the booth across from them and folded his hands on the table. “I can’t even tell you how it excited it makes me to hear the FBI taking an interest in the Grassman, agents,” he said. “I promise you, your cryptid research will not go unrewarded.”

   _Cryptid research?_ Eli thought. She shot a suspicious glance at Toujou, who was conveniently avoiding her line of sight. _What did she tell him?_

“I’m sure the Bureau will be delighted to hear that,” Toujou said, continuing to avoid Eli. “Of course, our first matter of business is to find some solid scientific evidence that the creature exists—“

   They were interrupted by the waitress, a homely brunette girl, who came over to take their orders. Zacharias only ordered a beer, and Toujou ordered a massive burger with fries. _How does she eat that much?_ Eli wondered.

   “And for you? Some pop?” the waitress asked, turning to Eli.

   “Nothing for me, thank you,” Eli said. She hadn’t been feeling well the past couple of days, and her appetite had disappeared. Toujou gave her a concerned look, but Eli brushed her off.

   “Alright, we’ll have that right out for you,” she said, and disappeared. Toujou, meanwhile, turned back to Zacharias.

   “As I was saying, it’s important that we get solid evidence to present to the Bureau,” Toujou continued seriously. “And we’d like to do that as soon as possible. Do you have any recommendations as to where we might be able to start?”

   Zacharias thought for a moment. “Well, you’ll obviously want to start in Valley National Park, which is just north of here.” He pulled out a map from his pocket and unfolded it onto the table, where he pointed to a location above Akron. “This is the location of the most recent sightings. Now, the Grassman usually leaves behind three or four-toed tracks, which is definitely a good way to tell where he’s been recently, but even _better_ is that the Grassman has been known to leave behind a distinctive smell.”

   Eli wrinkled her nose; “Usually like rotting meat, it can last for several days after he’s been through an area,” Zacharias continued, unaware of Eli’s distaste. “Here. This is the most recent photo.”

   He handed Agent Toujou a picture of what Eli saw as a normal forest scene; after looking at it for a moment, however, she could see a large, dark mass roaming in the background.

   “This is great, Mark,” Toujou said. “I’m glad to know he’s so active. What do you recommend we do in order to try and capture him?”

   “You’ll have to mark out his territory first,” he said. “Mark any evidence you find on a map or GPS of some kind. The closest relative to the Grassman is the gorilla, which usually has about 16 square miles of territory. It’s not much, but it’ll help a bit.”

   “16 square miles…” Toujou murmured, jotting something down on her phone. “Got it. Anything else we should know?”

   “Just to keep an eye out,” he said, finishing off his beer. “There haven’t been any recorded attacks by the Grassman, but he’s supposed to be nasty strong. Aggressive, too. The Indians used to leave out offerings of food for him to keep peace.”

   “Indicating that he’s intelligent…” Toujou said curiously, writing in her notebook.

   “Oh, almost forgot.” Toujou and Eli looked up. “We could very well not be talking about a ‘him,’” Zacharias continued. “There’s been up to five individuals seen at once. Hopefully, you won’t run into more than one or two at a time, but it’s something you should be aware of.”

   “More the merrier,” Toujou said pleasantly. Eli gaped at her. “Thank you, Zacharias. We’ll let you know if we find anything you might be interested in.”

   “My pleasure,” he said, shaking her hand again. He nodded politely in Eli’s direction. “Agent Ayase.”

   With that, he left, and Eli and Toujou sat alone at the table. Toujou ate a few fries, and Eli said:

   “What exactly did you tell him?”

   “That the government has taken an interest into recent cryptid sightings and that we’re here to gather evidence of such creatures,” she said.

   “Great,” Eli said. “Now he’s going to tell everyone the government is spending their tax dollars hunting Bigfoot.”

   “They’re spending tax dollars hunting The Ohio GRASSMAN, Eli,” Toujou said. Eli glared at her. “And to be fair, the government don’t know that.”

   “Which doesn’t make it any better!”

   “You worry too much,” Toujou said, waving her hand absentmindedly. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re investigating a totally legitimate explanation into a missing persons’ case.”

   Eli felt like a lot of things were _much_ more legitimate in Toujou’s point of view than that of anyone else, but she also didn’t feel like arguing.

   “Do you want a fry, Eli?” Toujou asked, holding one up. Eli hesitated for a moment before accepting it.

   “Thank you,” she said.

   “You’ve got to eat, you know,” Toujou said.

   Eli nodded absentmindedly, and waited for Toujou to finish eating—though, not before stealing a few more fries. When they got back into the car, Toujou turned the radio on, which was set to a news channel;

   _“Reports now coming in from Cleveland Zoo officials claim that—“_

She switched it to music, which played quietly throughout the car. There was something comforting about it; a drizzle had begun, which was humming steadily along the outside of the car to the beat of the music. She and Toujou were planning to drive through to Akron, which was about forty-five minutes away. The car was warm, and the music was low, and in the darkness of the growing evening, Eli felt herself drifting into sleep.

\--

   The next day was an early morning for the agents. Toujou wasted no time in getting herself an Eli up and into the car, and took off out of the hotel parking lot.

   “Don’t you need directions?” Eli asked.

   “Nope,” Toujou said. “I intentionally got a hotel right nearby the park. Never know what might come wandering out of the woods at night.”

   “I wish you wouldn’t say that,” Eli said flatly. Toujou giggled.

   “I don’t think you have too much to worry about,” Toujou said. “I think we can take on a Grassman if we need to.”

   She patted her waist, where her gun holster was secured. Eli felt a bit better.

   “So what’s the plan once we get there?” Eli asked.

   “Well, since tourists don’t typically start arriving for another couple of hours, we have some time to look around before any possible evidence gets destroyed,” Toujou said. “I’ve downloaded a scale map of the park into a GPS app on my phone, so if we find anything, we can mark it, and start to map out a possible territory area.”

   “Wow,” Eli said, impressed. “You’ve really thought this out.”

   “No need to sound so surprised,” Toujou said.

   “And what happens if we do find him?”

   “Try to take him alive, I guess,” she said. “I mean, I don’t know how much you can bargain with a wild animal, but I’d prefer not to kill anything. Plus, it could be a huge scientific breakthrough.”

   Eli nodded, appeased again by the idea of a scientific revelation in Toujou’s nonsense. “Didn’t Zacharias say that the territory could be up to sixteen miles, though?” she said. “I mean, it could take us _forever.”_

“There are no guarantees in life, Eli,” Toujou said sagely. “Maybe we find him, maybe we don’t.”

   “And if we don’t, what do we tell Nishikino?”

   Toujou hesitated. “The path to success is littered with failure.”

   This _definitely_ didn’t sound like it would fly with Nishikino, but Toujou had wormed them out of some much weirder spots in the past, so Eli supposed it might be appropriate to surrender this one to her.

   They pulled up to the gates of the park, where a ranger stopped them.

   “Park’s not open to the public just yet, folks,” he said, leaning down as Toujou opened the window. “You’ll have to wait a little.”

   Toujou took her badge out of the center compartment and held it up. “Agents Toujou and Ayase, we’re here investigating recent disappearances in the Akron area.”

   “Oh, Agent Toujou, I was told you were coming,” he said. “Go right ahead.”

   He stepped back, and the metal gate securing the entrance to the park lifted. They drove through and parked not far around the bend. Agent Toujou got out, followed by Eli, and took a deep breath in.

   “Fresh air!” she said happily. “It gets so stuffy in the city, don’t you think?”

   “It does,” Eli agreed. She had to admit, it was nice being out in the open again. Trees rose above their heads, and the grass was still coated in slick morning dew. Birds were singing in the distance. “I forgot what it feels like not to be surrounded by skyscrapers.”

   “All the more reason to enjoy this, then,” she said. “Come on, Eli—and be sure to keep your eyes open. We don’t want the Grassman sneaking up on us.”

\--

   Toujou led them through a path and off into the deepest part of the woods. In the hour and a half that passed, they spoke very little, both held captive by the area around them. Eli could easily see how a race of creatures could live comfortably here; there were plenty of water sources, and miles of thick trees. Eli was really beginning to relax, when her foot caught on something, and she used Toujou’s shirt to catch herself.

   “Eli?!” Toujou cried, surprised. She turned around and caught Eli under the arms, and helped her stand. “What happened?”

   “I stepped in something,” she gasped, still trying to catch her breath. “Here…”

   She took a few steps backwards, and spotted the source of her fall. “T-Toujou…”

   A massive footprint was stamped deep into the mud. It was much larger than Eli’s own, with only three toes; much of it had been obscured by where Eli had stepped in it.

   “Eli, you’re amazing,” Toujou said eagerly. She pulled her phone out, and immediately began taking pictures of the print. Eli wasn’t entirely sure what was so amazing about being a klutz, but wasn’t going to question a compliment.

   “Do you really think it’s the Grassman?” Eli asked, leaning over the print. “It looks… Well, not human, I’ll give you that, but there’s something vaguely familiar…”

   “Of course it looks familiar, Eli, it’s supposed to be the missing link, right?” Toujou asked, still furious snapping pictures. “Ah, this is great. Let me mark it down on the GPS…”

   She continued fiddling with her cellphone, and Eli bent down to look at the print more closely. It was at least twice the size of a normal human, much squatter and deeply-set, meaning whatever had made it was heavy. It could easily be a hoax, she thought, but Toujou was so excited, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

   “There’s a skin imprint on the bottom of the tracks,” Eli noted. “Looks fairly human, but it’s hard to tell.” She examined them a little closer; “Whatever made them was running, look at how deep the ball of the foot is compared to the heel.”

   Agent Toujou was not listening. In fact, it appeared she was on the phone;

   “Umi?” she said into the receiver. “Rin? Oh, put Umi on the phone, would you—Umi! Umi, we found Grassman tracks!” There was a loud amount of noise from the other end of the line. “Take me off speaker, I can’t hear a word you’re saying. Yes, they’re real! You owe me twenty dollars!”

   “Toujou!” Eli snapped; the other agent looked up guiltily. “I’ll call you back, Umi. You can just write me a check.”

   She hung up and slipped the phone back into her pocket. “Right,” she said abruptly. “So, um… keep looking?”

\--

   Two hours of fervent searching later yielded no results. However, Eli couldn’t say she wasn’t enjoying herself; the day was warm, but not too much so, and the smell of the woods melted her stress away.

   “Still nothing,” Toujou muttered. “I need more evidence, Umi’s being stingy.”

   “It’s twenty dollars,” Eli said, half-disapproving, half-amused.

   “Maybe so, but I could finally buy some meat for yakiniku,” she said. “There aren’t any places in DC that make it right.”

   “Yakiniku?” Eli said; yakiniku was a Japanese version of barbeque. “I haven’t eaten that in years. What kind do you like?”

   “All of it, but I especially enjoy short ribs and squid,” she said wistfully. “Unfortunately, getting good meat is pricey.”

   Eli nodded in agreement. “My mother makes great yakiniku,” she said. “And great everything, for that matter. You should try it sometime.”

   She realized what she’d said, and became a bit embarrassed, but Toujou just laughed. “That sounds great, actually,” she said.

   There was a split-second where Eli was going to say something, but a sudden wave of nausea washed over her, and she clutched her stomach.

   “Eli?” Toujou said, immediately noticing something was wrong. “What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

   “I don’t know, I suddenly just—“ The hot feeling of bile in her throat choked out Eli’s next words, and she clamped her hand over her mouth. “Toujou, I’m—“

   She ran behind a tree, nearly stumbling over herself in the process, and threw up. Unfortunately, her appetite had not improved from the night before, and it was mostly stomach acid. As she remained bent over, a hand appeared on her shoulder.

   “Eli, you’re sick,” Toujou said gently. “Let’s get out of here. The trail isn’t too far, and we can get some help.”

   Eli nodded, accepting Toujou’s other hand. She pulled her into a standing position, and slung Eli’s right arm over her shoulder.

   “I’ve got you,” Toujou soothed; Eli was shaking violently. “It’s probably just a fever. Come on Eli, just a little while longer…”

\--

   The rest of the Eli’s day was spent in bed, where she shook feverishly under the covers as Toujou worked on filing a report. It frustrated Eli that she couldn’t be of more help, but her illness was so bad, there was nothing she could have done. She didn’t seem to be running a temperature, but the shaking and nausea were out of control.

   Finally, around 3 o’clock that afternoon, she drifted into sleep, and when she regained consciousness, the room was dark.

   “…Toujou?” she said. “Are you here?”

   There was no answer, and Eli picked up her cellphone from the side table. The illumination of the screen showed that the room was empty; maybe Toujou had gone somewhere.

   She shifted in bed and retrieved the TV remote; her nausea had gotten better, and Eli was finally lucid enough to be bored.

   Nothing interesting was on TV, and Eli finally settled on _Friends_ reruns. She wasn’t a huge fan of sitcoms, but it was better than staring at the ceiling until Toujou got back.

   After a few minutes, there was a lull in the action, and the show cut to commercial. Eli put it on mute, and leaned back into the pillows. She was slowly beginning to get tired again.

   Suddenly, there was a bang from outside, and Eli sat bolt upright in bed. The room was silent, sans the humming of the air conditioner. Then, there was another loud noise from outside, and Eli leapt out from underneath the covers. She swayed a minute, still woozy, then grabbed her pistol and ran to the door.

   “Hello?” she called as she slipped outside. “Is anyone there?”

   There was no answer. She took a few steps further and gasped; something large and vaguely human-like was rummaging through the massive green garbage can outside the hotel. Eli took another step, gun raised, and this time, the creature heard her.

   It took one look at Eli, and barreled off towards the woods. Eli chased it for a few yards, before her illness got the better of her again.

   “Oh… for god’s… sake…” she panted. Whatever it was had gotten away; now that she had a moment to think, Eli cursed herself for not taking a picture.

   Once she’d regathered her strength, she began her walk back to the hotel room, only to run into a frantic Agent Toujou.

   “Eli!” she exclaimed. “God, where have you been? I was worried, I came back and you were gone with the door unlocked—“

   “Will… explain… in a minute,” Eli said, still trying to catch her breath. “Come on…”

   They walked back to the hotel room, and Eli collapsed into a chair.

   “Here,” Toujou said, setting down a Styrofoam bowl in front of Eli. “I brought you some soup. It’s minestrone. I figured you’d be hungry when you woke up.”

   Eli nodded gratefully, and accepted a plastic spoon as well. Toujou sat down across from her, and allowed Eli to eat for a few minutes before beginning to interrogate her:

   “What were you doing running around?” she asked.

   “I heard something from outside the hotel room,” she explained through mouthfuls of hot soup. “There was a bang, and when I went to investigate, I saw… well, I don’t know what I saw.”

   Toujou frowned. “What was it?”

   “It was… it was…” Eli took a deep breath. “It looked vaguely human, but it was too dark to really tell. It was rummaging around in the garbage; I chased it for a while, but I couldn’t run far without getting tired.”

   “You saw the Grassman?!” Toujou demanded. “How tall was it? Did it make any sounds?!”

   “It was about six feet tall, and no,” Eli said. “And for that matter, you don’t even know it was the Grassman. For all you know, some bulky homeless man is hiding in the woods as we speak, scared out of his damn mind.”

   “Don’t be a downer, Eli,” Toujou said excitedly. “This is great! We can’t be more than sixteen miles away from where that footprint in the park was, which means Zacharias was right…”

   She went into a long and detail-oriented lecture on exactly how they should continue their Grassman hunt. Eli went back to her soup.

\--

   The next morning found the two agents—with Eli’s illness considerably reduced—back in the deep forests of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It was cooler than the day before, and Toujou insisted that Eli keep a jacket on. About an hour into their hunt, Eli was starting to feel sick again.

   “Toujou,” she said. “Maybe we should get some bait or something—“

   “We can’t turn back now, Eli,” Toujou said. “He could slip through our fingers at any moment…”

   Eli had the feeling that her breakfast could slip through her esophagus at any moment now, too, but resisted the urge to say anything. They walked in silence for another fifteen minutes, before Eli was startled by an excited squeal from Toujou.

   “Eli!” she said. “Eli, look! More tracks!”

   “You’re kidding,” Eli said, bewildered. But Toujou was right; a set of footprints manifested from within the plant life, leading deeper into the woods.

   “…These are fresh,” Eli said after a moment. “Whatever left these isn’t far.”

   “Then let’s not wait around!” Toujou said eagerly. “Come on, Eli!”

   She bounded down the trail of prints with Eli not far behind her. There were a few places where the tracks would fade, only to pick up a few feet later. Eli couldn’t help but feel like there was something off about them.

   “Say, Toujou,” she said. “Didn’t the print yesterday only have three toes?”

   “Yeah, why?”

   “These have five,” Eli said. “There’s… something familiar about them…”

   Suddenly, Toujou came to a dead stop, almost causing Eli to run into her.

   “What are you—“ she began, but Toujou hushed her. It only took Eli a moment to realize why.

   About twenty or thirty feet in front of them, a black mass was lying on the ground; Eli could just see the steady rise and fall of its breathing.

   “Is that…?” she said.

   “It’s the Ohio Grassman,” Toujou whispered reverently.

   For a moment, Eli let it wash over her. There it was, just like Toujou had said: the Ohio Grassman, live and in person. But something was off—and suddenly, it hit her.

   “Wait a moment,” she said quietly. “Toujou…”

   She took a few steps forward, and Toujou followed close behind her. As they got closer, Eli could make out more details on the massive form, and like taking the lid off of week-old leftovers, the truth rose to the surface like stinking, inevitable mold.

   “…Toujou,” she said. “That is not the Ohio Grassman.”

   “What are you talking about?!” Toujou hissed. “It’s right there, just look—“

   “I am looking,” Eli said firmly. “And what I see is a Western Lowland Gorilla.”

   Silence. Toujou gaped at her for a second, then at the mass, then back to Eli. Another moment of silence passed, until she said:

   “You’re absolutely shitting me.”

   “I absolutely am not,” Eli said, restraining hysterical laughter. “It all makes sense now, the tracks, the reports…”

   “Eli, that doesn’t even make any sense!” she said. “Where would a gorilla even COME from?!”

   “One second,” Eli said. She pulled her phone out, and in the search bar, typed “escaped gorilla Ohio.” Within seconds, her screen was flooded with results:

   _Cleveland Officials Searching Frantically For Missing Gorilla_

_Gorilla Escapes From Enclosure in Cleveland Metroparks Zoo_

_Authorities Reveal That Gorilla’s Escape May Have Been Activist Move Gone Wrong_

“See?” she whispered, holding it up. “Escaped gorilla. Cleveland. It’s an ape, Toujou.”

   Eli could see Toujou physically deflate as she read over the headlines. “So,” she said. “We… haven’t really found the Ohio Grassman?”

   “Nope,” Eli said. “And I can’t imagine that this is our killer, either.”

   Toujou was silent for a moment, mourning her loss. “… Nishikino’s going to kill me,” she said.

   Eli smiled slightly. “But the citizens of Cleveland are going to be very grateful once we return their gorilla. We should call someone—I don’t think we’re equipped for this situation.”

   Toujou nodded, still utterly let down. She pulled her cellphone and dialed the emergency number; “Hello,” she said quietly, and Eli could hear the disappointment in her voice. “This is Special Agent Nozomi Toujou, badge number 402-5932-420, I have an incident in the Valley National Park…”

\--

   The fifteen minutes or so between when Toujou called for help and when it arrived were among the most tense of Eli’s life. While she knew that gorilla’s weren’t inherently violent animals, they were strong, and could pose a serious threat—one that she had absolutely no idea how to deal with. However, the ape must have been tired from his late-night romp, as he stayed asleep the entire time. Unfortunately, when help did arrive, it was not quietly.

   A small army of people appeared from within the woods; a couple of park rangers, two people dressed all in khaki, with “Cleveland Zoo” badges on their shirts, three police officers, and half a dozen armed SWAT team members clutching a mix of dartguns and rifles.

   “What the hell is the meaning of this?!” Eli hissed to one of the police officers. “It’s one gorilla, you don’t need the whole cavalry!”

   “Trust me, Agent, we want to get this done as quickly and quietly as possible,” he said. “If you’d just stand back—“

   At that moment, a rustle of movement caught Eli’s eye. The sleeping gorilla stirred, and sat up; she saw the SWAT members take a few steps back.

   “Don’t look it in the eyes!” she hissed to the policeman. “Tell them not to look him in the eyes--!”

   It was too late. The gorilla began making its way towards one of the team members; it didn’t seem inherently aggressive, but it must have scared the man, because he fired his dart gun anyway; the shot missed, but it startled the gorilla. He let out a roar, and reared back, startled and frightened from the blast of the gun. Eli saw another man raise his gun.

   “NO--!”

   _BANG!_

Silence. After the flurry of movement and sound that had just happened, the peace that fell upon the woods felt unnatural, artificial. Eli could feel herself shaking.

   “Oh my god,” she whispered. “Oh my god, oh my god…”

   “Oh _shit,”_ the policeman said quietly.

   Someone grabbed Eli’s shoulders, and turned her around; Toujou, who had been arguing with another officer, pulled her into a hug.

   “Are you out of your goddamn MINDS?!” she yelled as Eli trembled against her. “You bring in the whole US Marine Corp for a GORILLA, and you SHOOT IT?”

   “I didn’t—I mean, we weren’t supposed to—“

   “I hope your excuses are as good as your aim, because the FBI will NOT be taking ANY responsibility for this incident,” Toujou snapped. “In fact, I think you should be submitting some performance reports on your team members here and their ability to work under PRESSURE!”

   Her voice echoed across the surrounding woods, making her twice as loud as normal. Otherwise, it was still silent.

   “… Henderson, call the chief,” the officer said after a moment. “Tell him we have a real problem down at the national park.”

   Slowly, people began to disperse, and Toujou looked down at Eli.

   “Are you alright?” she asked, much more gently.

   “Y—Yeah,” she said. “I just—I didn’t think they’d kill it…”

   “I didn’t either,” Toujou assured her. “If I’d thought there was a chance, I would have called the zoo directly, but I didn’t want to take the chance of losing him…”

   Eli nodded mutely against Toujou’s shoulder. “You… You did the best you could.”

   Toujou tightened her grip on Eli’s shoulder a little more. For a moment, the noise of the woods seemed to die down around them.

\--

   This was not the first time Eli had found herself sitting nervously in Nishikino’s office, nor did she have any doubt it would be the last.

   Assistant Director Maki Nishikino sat at her desk with her elbows resting on the polished oak, fingers intertwined. Her eyes bored holes into Eli, who was staring determinedly at her name plaque.

   “So,” she said finally. “I hear that you two had quite the week.”

   “That’s one way of putting it,” Toujou said flippantly. Eli resisted the urge to kick her.

   “Let’s recap, shall we?” she said. “I send you two up to Cleveland to investigate recent disappearances. Somehow—and I have no idea how you’ve done it—you manage to find a missing gorilla instead.”

   “Sounds right so far.”

   Now it was Nishikino who looked like she was resisting giving Toujou a swift kick in the shins. “As I’m sure you’ve heard, there’s been quite a lot of protest over the death of the animal. In fact… you two even made the front page of the _Huffington Post.”_

She turned her computer around, where there was a photo of Eli and Nozomi leaving the park. Above it was the headline _“Missing Gorilla Discovered by Two FBI Agents, Later Shot By Police: Backlash Ensues.”_

“Have no doubt, this has raised a lot of attention to our office,” Nishikino said. “I’ve received three phone calls in the past hour alone requesting to speak with you two for an interview. Two of them have been animal activist groups, one was the New York Times. You can safely assume that I’d prefer you not speak to anyone.”

   Eli nodded. “And, with that in mind…” she said. “…The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo extends its gratitude that you were able to find their gorilla, and deeply regrets that the situation could not have ended better. In return, they’d like to invite you to return to the zoo at any time. You’re dismissed, agents.”

   She went back to her laptop, and Eli gaped at her. “…R-Really?” she asked.

   “Yes, really,” Nishikino said, unfazed. “You may go, Ayase.”

   Toujou gave her a significant look, and Eli decided it was better to quit while she was ahead. They rushed out of the office, and Toujou let out a small sigh of relief.

   “That went a lot better than I thought it would,” she said.

   “Yeah, it did,” Eli agreed. “I thought for sure she’d accuse us of wasting resources. I think she was probably just tired of dealing with us.”

   “Well, definitely that,” Toujou said. “But she was… hard to read.”

   Eli frowned. “What do you mean?”

   “I mean, she was hard to read,” Toujou said. “Her thoughts were… cloudy, I suppose? A lot of static. I don’t know. Maybe it’s a side effect of too much coffee.”

   They both laughed as they descended towards the basement office. “Well, Agent Ayase, I guess that’s one more case closed,” Toujou said. She smiled at her partner. “Are you ready for the next one?”

   Eli smiled as well. “Eager and waiting.”

   The elevator doors opened, and Eli inhaled the musty smell of the bottom floor. For the first time, she found it rather pleasant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #dicksout  
> #forgivemefatherforihavesinned
> 
>  
> 
> (Disclaimer: fun and games aside folks, gorilla conservation and safety is a big topic. There are less than 800 mountain gorillas left in the wild! To learn more about conservation efforts, and to offer your support, check out http://igcp.org/ . Maybe give a dollar or two instead of buying that pack of gum. Thanks guys! Keep those dicks out.)


	8. Tartarus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In sickness, and in health.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHA WOW IT'S BEEN UM... SEVERAL MONTHS... SORRY GUYS.......................  
> Junior year really put me through the wringer. I also wrote an entire Haikyuu fic that I'll probably publish once this is getting close to done. Also, I'm moving to Sweden. But that's enough about my life.  
> Thanks for sticking with me! I know my updates are nothing short of erratic, but I do my best. Enjoy!

_Field Journal #0524_

_Special Agent Eli Ayase_

_“In the middle of the journey of our life I found myself within a dark woods where the straight way was lost.”_

_-Dante’s Inferno 1.1-2_

   The sound of her phone ringing that day had set Agent Toujou on edge. It wasn’t the clear, pleasant chiming of a call, or the ding of a text message, but a sound like a drop of water that signified an email. An email from one specific person, that was.

   _Agent Toujou—_

_Behind Bedrock on Columbia NW. 10:30 PM. Same set of circumstances._

_-Inari_

It seemed like days before darkness had finally crept into the DC skyline, and Nozomi parked her car late on a Sunday night behind a bar miles outside the hub of downtown. The night was quiet, even for a Sunday. Just as Nozomi began to relax, something appeared outside her car door, and she instinctively grabbed her gun.

   The door opened, and a woman sat down. Her orb-like eyes traced Nozomi’s outline down to where she gripped her handgun.

   “You can put that away,” she said flatly. Her voice was sweet and high-pitched, but it made Nozomi shiver.

   “Sorry,” she muttered, putting the gun back in its holster. “You could knock, you know.”

   "Interesting that you left it unlocked,” the woman continued. “You don’t know who’s wandering around at this time of night.”

   Nozomi didn’t answer, and the woman leaned back in the passenger seat. From out of her bag, she pulled something wrapped in brown wax paper, which she peeled back, and took a bite. Nozomi realized it was a riceball.

   “…Where did you get that?” she asked.

   “Japanese place the next street over,” she said. “Why do you ask?”

   “No reason,” she said quickly. “Anyway, you called for this meeting—what’s it about?”

   The woman Toujou knew as Inari smiled slightly and closed her eyes. “You’re up against more than you realize, Agent Toujou,” she said, turning to look at the sky out of the windshield of the car.

   “Like what?”

   “I wish it was as easy as just telling you,” she said. “But it never is.”

   Nozomi frowned. “And why is that?”

   “You’re not ready, Agent,” she said firmly. “You charge into things headfirst. Telling you now would be a murder on my part.”

   Nozomi’s frown deepened; she didn’t like being told no like that. “Anyway, I’m already putting too much at risk meeting with you here,” Inari continued. “If you make a mistake, we’ll both be the ones to pay for it.”

   “So you won’t tell me what’s going on or how to fix it,” Nozomi said. “Why call me here then?”

   “I’m trying to warn you,” she said. “I promise you, Agent Toujou, we’re on the same side. I sent you that email about the crashed ship for a reason. You’re onto something, and you’re so close, but things are going to start heating up soon.”

   “What do I do, then?”

   From inside the front of her blazer, Inari pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Nozomi. She opened it, and read the two written words:

   _Yazawa Nico_

“…Who is this?” Nozomi asked after a moment.

   “No one,” Inari said seriously. “She doesn’t exist as far as either of us are concerned.”

   “Then what am I supposed to do with this?”

   Inari looked at her with the quiet apprehension of someone who knew more than they let on. “When the time comes, you’ll know. Remember that name, burn the paper. Good night, Agent Toujou.”

   “Wait—!” Nozomi began, but the woman had already opened the door. She left, and Nozomi made no further attempts to stop her. Instead, she looked back at the paper in her hand, hoping it would reveal some secret that she had missed the first time.

   _Yazawa Nico…_ she thought. _Who are you?_

\--

   “Alright, Toujou, this time _I’ve_ got a case for _you.”_

Special Agent Nozomi Toujou looked up from her latte to see Eli leaning over her desk, one hand on her hip, the other clutching a folder.

   “Really?” she asked, genuinely curious. “Tell me about it.”

   Eli slid into one of the chairs in front of Toujou’s desk, and set the folder down in between them. She leaned over, brushing a strand of platinum-blonde hair out of her face, and opened the cover; inside was a blurry photo of several people wearing hoods.

   “Augustine Creek, a suburb outside of Columbia, has been having an arson epidemic over the past few months,” she explained, moving the photo out of the way to show Toujou a picture of a burning house. “Nice neighborhood, fairly upper-class, mostly wealthy white people. Low crime rate, until July.”

   “What changed?”

   “According to some parents at the local schools, a new group took up residence in an abandoned barn a few miles away,” Eli said, revealing a third picture of a decrepit-looking barn in a field. “Satanists, apparently.”

   The smallest smile flickered across Toujou’s face. Eli recognized the look almost instantly, and knew that her partner was hooked. “They’ve been hanging around local schools, according to several concerned parents. Supposedly, they’re behind all of this.”

   “Satanists…” Toujou said. “Haven’t heard from them for a while. Thought they’d all gone out west.”

   “Apparently not,” Eli said, tucking the pictures back inside of the folder. “Because it would seem their Washington branch is more than active. I don’t have a lot of experience with Satanists, though.”

   “They’re damnably hard to catch, their meetings tend to be fairly erratic,” Toujou said. “But, it is September, right?”

   “Last time I checked.”

   “Great,” Toujou said, typing rapidly on her phone. “That means that the equinox is… next week!”

   Eli frowned. “The equinox?”

   “It’s one of the Satanist holidays,” she explained. “The fact that it’s approaching may have a hand in why they’re being so active.”

   “Outside of arson and general creepiness, what kind of a threat do you think they pose?”

   “I guess it would depend on what kind of Satanists they are,” Toujou said thoughtfully. “There’s modern Satanism, which was founded by Anton LaVey, but they’re more of a movement than a religion. They don’t literally believe in the physical existence of Satan.”

   “So why all the fuss?”

   “Well, there are also theistic Satanists,” Toujou said. She handed Eli her phone, which was pulled up to a Wikipedia article featuring a large sigil. “They actually believe in the physical existence of Satan, and are generally the ones people think of when they hear ‘devil-worshippers.’ They’re probably the ones causing trouble.”

   Eli nodded. “Got it. We should probably start interviewing anyone who’s seen them, and checking out that barn. Maybe there’s something that will tell us the next time they meet, if it’s before the equinox.”

   “Great,” Toujou said, grinning. “Just let me get my coat, and we can go.”

   “Uh…” Eli said nervously. Toujou stopped mid-step. “Well, see, I have a bit of a… preoccupation today.”

   “Eli,” Toujou said, sounding earnestly disappointed. “What could be more important than SATANISTS?"

   A lot of things, Eli thought, but she wasn’t about to say that out loud. “I told my mom I would have lunch with her today,” she explained. “She’s been asking me for weeks now, and I can’t keep turning her down.”

  “Oh,” Toujou said, not taking her eyes off Eli. There was a brief pause, then she continued out from behind her desk, and grabbed her coat. “Well, that shouldn’t be a problem. What time are we meeting her?”

   “We?” Eli asked incredulously. “I don’t know about ‘we,’ but _I’m_ meeting her at noon at the Italian place down the street.”

   “Great, I love Italian food,” she said. “Let me appease Nishikino, and we can walk there.”

   _“Hold on just a second,”_ Eli said firmly. Toujou looked confused. “You—you can’t just—lunch with my MOM…”

   “Eli, I am a _delight,”_ Toujou said, placing her hand over her heart as though Eli had deeply offended her and her great ancestors. “I’m popular with moms _everywhere._ Besides, it’ll be fun!”

   Eli could tell this was a losing battle. “Fine,” she said, releasing a sigh. “But _behave,_ and no weird mind stuff.”

   Toujou winked. “You have my word.”

\--

   Eli’s mother was already waiting for her in front of the restaurant; when she saw her daughter approaching, she smiled, and waved in her direction.

   “Hello, Elicchi!” she said happily in Japanese, enveloping Eli into a hug. “I’ve missed you! So glad you could take some time off of work to come eat lunch with your poor old mother.” She noticed Agent Toujou for the first time. “Who’s this?”

   “Oh, mom,” Eli said, turning back to Toujou. “This is Nozomi Toujou, my partner. Is it alright if she joins us?”

   Her mother looked in surprise to Agent Toujou, who waved politely. “Hello, Mrs. Ayase,” she said, also in Japanese. “It’s nice to meet you.”

   She looked back to Eli. “Well, of course it’s okay, Elicchi, but I wish you’d let me know in advance that you were bringing your girlfriend!”

   Muffled laughter from behind her told Eli that Toujou had heard this, and she sighed. “Mom, no,” she said, ignoring Toujou’s giggling. “She’s my _FBI_ partner. Not my girlfriend. This is _Special Agent_ Nozomi Toujou.”

   “Oh!” she said. “Sorry, Agent Toujou. It’s nice to meet you as well.”

   They bowed briefly, and Eli’s mother turned to her. “Alright, Elicchi, let’s go get a table.”

\--

   Much to Eli’s surprise, Toujou kept her promise to behave throughout the meal, and even held conversation with her mother, who seemed delighted with her presence. The conversation turned from work, to how her mother had been, to Toujou’s childhood, and finally, much to Eli’s despair, her own childhood.

   “Elicchi was such a pretty dancer,” her mother was saying. “Always so eager to be up on stage.”

   “Mom, I was terrible,” Eli said flatly. “I barely passed auditions.”

   “But you tried, and you were so _cute,”_ she said. “Here, look. Elicchi taught me how to use a smartphone, so now I have all of her pictures on here…”

   _Way to shoot myself in the foot,_ Eli thought as her mother continued to gush. Toujou gave her a look that was somewhere between sympathy and amusement.

   “Okay, mom,” Eli said, gently touching her arm. “Agent Toujou and I have to get back to work.”

   “So soon?” she said, pouting. “Eli, it’s hardly—“

   “I promise we’ll have lunch again this weekend, okay?” she said. “That way, I won’t have to worry about work.”

   “Alright…” her mother agreed reluctantly. “It was nice to meet you, Agent Toujou.”

   “You too,” Toujou said with a smile.

   They began walking back to headquarters, and for a moment, there was silence. Then, Toujou smiled, and said:

   _“Elicchi.”_

“Don’t you DARE,” Eli said firmly. “Not you too.”

   “Where does it come from?”

   “Elichika is my full name,” she explained. “I’m Russian on my grandmother’s side.”

   “That does explain your blonde hair…” Toujou mused. “But don’t be embarrassed. It’s cute.”

   “What?”

   Toujou grinned again. _“Elicchi.”_

Eli sighed deeply. “I’m not going to win this, am I?”

   “Nope.”

   “Fine,” Eli said, giving up. “But don’t call me that in front of Nishikino.”

   “Wouldn’t dare.”

\--

   Eli couldn’t imagine that Satanism had an _opposite,_ per say, but if it did, it would definitely look something like the houses in Augustine Creek. Each cookie-cutter house was trimmed neatly by a white fence and lush gardens; the lawns were such a vibrant green that Eli could swear they were hurting her eyes.

   “Alright, 334 Chestnut Drive,” Nozomi said from the driver’s seat. “This is the woman who filed the last complaint, Sheryl Dawkins.”

   “What’d she say?” Eli asked, prying her eyes away from suburban paradise.

   “The usual,” she said. “People in dark clothing and masks, chanting, scaring kids. Well, and the arson.”

   “I would say the arson’s fairly important,” Eli said flatly. “Come on, let’s go.”

   They approached the gleaming white door, and Toujou reached out and pressed the doorbell. A moment passed, then the door opened; a women with tightly-curled blonde hair and heavy makeup appeared.

   “Mrs. Dawkins?” Toujou said, holding up her badge. “I’m special agent Nozomi Toujou, this is special agent Ayase. We’re here in regard to the report you filed about local Satanist activity.”

   “Oh,” she said, opening the door a little wider. “Good, come in. Would either of you like any coffee?”

   “No, thank you,” Nozomi said. “May we sit down?”

   She nodded, and they sat down on the plastic-covered couch, which crinkled underneath them. Toujou crossed her legs uncomfortably, and Eli braced one heel against the floor to keep herself from slipping off.

   “I’m glad you’re here,” Dawkins said, sitting down in an armchair across from them. “I’ve been waiting a week for someone.”

   “Well, things have been busy,” Toujou said calmly. “Anyway, Mrs. Dawkins, what exactly had been going on?”

   “It started around early August,” she said crossly. “I started seeing groups of kids walking around at night, all in black. I thought it was…” she looked both ways, then placed a hand close to her mouth, as though she were whispering some forbidden word; “… _gang activity,_ but then I saw them going into that old barn down on Mapleton… You’re going to take care of that, right? You can’t just let people like that roam the streets.”

   “Well, first we have to prove that they’ve done something wrong,” Nozomi said. “After that, we—“

   “I have two young boys, you know?” she demanded. “How am I supposed to raise them with SATANISTS roaming around?”

   “We’re going to do everything we can,” Eli assured her. “In the meantime, just make sure to lock your doors and don’t let your children go out at night alone.”

   She didn’t seem satisfied with this answer, but she chose not to pursue it. “Alright,” Toujou said. “Well, thank you for your time. If you have any more information, you can call us at this number, all right?”

   “Thank you,” Dawkins said. “I’ll contact you as soon as I can.”

   _Please don’t,_ Eli thought. Toujou quickly hustled them through the door and turned to Eli;

   _“Yikes,”_ she said.

   “Yeah,” Eli agreed. “That was... the innocent people are sometimes the hardest part of this job.”

   “Well, we might as well go check out that barn,” Toujou said, opening the car door for Eli. “Nobody will be there during the day, I don’t think.”

   “What if they are?”

   Toujou laughed. “I have some holy water in the glovebox.”

\--

   The old barn that Mrs. Dawkins had been talking about was barely visibly in a solid field of overgrown wheat. From above the golden stalks, Eli could see the dark grey of rotting wood; as they began to get closer, the barn took shape. It was still in one piece—mostly. The roof was peppered with holes, and the walls looked like they were one good kick away from caving in, but it was still standing.

   “Looks about right for a Satanist temple,” Toujou said.

   “Definitely weird,” Eli agreed. “Definitely spooky.”

   Toujou opened the door to the car, and gestured towards the collapsing building. “After you.”

   Eli followed her out, and up to the deteriorating barn door. Toujou grabbed the rusty handle and pulled; the door swung open with relative ease, and a breath of dusty air hit Eli in the face.

   “Ugh,” she coughed. “Nothing like musty building.”

   “Yankee Candle should really give it some thought,” Toujou joked. She looked inside; “I don’t see anything suspicious. Come on, I think it’s clear.”

   They walked inside, and Eli turned on her flashlight. The barn was virtually empty inside, save for a few rusting tools and piles of molding wood on a tattered old tarp. Sunlight filtered through the holes in the roof, illuminating spots of the dirt floor.

   “Doesn’t look like _anybody’s_ meeting in here,” Eli said.

   “Certainly doesn’t,” Toujou said. “Check over there, I’ll try looking by the stalls.”

   She wandered over to the left, and Eli began inspecting the area around a large set of ancient iron scales. There still didn’t appear to be anything out of the ordinary; Eli couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. This was her first case with Satanists, after all, and she was hoping for a _little_ bit of excitement. Then again, she thought, maybe she should count her blessings.

   Suddenly, a gleam of light caught her eye, and Eli paused. Half-buried beneath the dirt, a silver pendant was winking at her. She knelt down and pulled it out; it hadn’t been here very long.

   “Toujou,” she said. “I found something.”

   Toujou looked up from one of the wooden stalls. “What?” she said. “What is it?”

   “It’s a necklace,” Eli said as Toujou hurried over to her. “A pentagram.”

   “Pentagrams aren’t inherently Satanic,” Toujou said, accepting the necklace from Eli. “… But this one is. See how it’s upside down?”

   Eli nodded. “Well, _someone’s_ been here. I think that gives us good enough reason to come back. You said that the solstice is next week?”

   “Tuesday, yeah,” Toujou said. “But they might gather the night before to do preparation rituals…”

   “We need to catch them then,” Eli said. “If we wait until the actual solstice, there’s a good chance they’ll be out to hurt someone.”

   “Good point,” Toujou said, slipping the necklace into her pocket. “Alright, let’s take this back to Nishikino. It’s just a waiting game now.”

\--

Five days later

   Eli tapped the head of a flashlight against her hand before carefully stowing it in the black messenger bag at her side. She and Toujou were in Toujou’s basement office, preparing to leave for the mysterious barn they’d encountered the previous week.

   “You think they’ll be there?” Eli said.

   “Positive,” Toujou said. “This is a big holiday for them. They need to prepare.”

   Eli nodded. “… Do you actually believe in it? In Satanism?”

   Toujou hesitated, placing a few more items in her bag before answering. “Yes and no, I suppose,” she said. “I’m very strongly Buddhist, but… I suppose that, in a way, all religions have elements of truth to them. I think that there’s an ultimate evil that exists; Satan is just one name for it.”

   “I guess so,” Eli said. “I don’t know, I’ve never been very religious.”

   “Why not?”

   “No particular reason, really,” she said. “My parents never really pushed it on me. I always had my nose in a book. I trusted in science, really. Not religion.”

   “I don’t think that’s unreasonable,” Toujou said. “But maybe you should give religion a try. Might answer some of those questions you’re looking for.”

   Eli didn’t answer, but continued to prepare herself. She checked the barrel of her gun, then slid it into its holster. “Alright,” she said. “Let’s go.”

\--

   They arrived at the barn forty-five minutes later. In the darkness, it was barely visible; however, just like Toujou had predicted, Eli could see light through the cracks in the wood.

   “Someone’s in there,” she said. “How do we want to do this?”

   “Definitely don’t make a scene,” Toujou said. “We’re probably outnumbered, and I’d prefer to do this in a way where no one gets hurt. Let’s go see if the door’s unlocked.”

   They slowly got out of the car, and crept up to the barn. From inside, Eli could hear low voices talking; she couldn’t hear what they were saying.

   Toujou nudged the door, and it opened just a bit. “Come on,” she whispered, gesturing to it.

   Eli crawled behind her, and together, they entered the barn. In the back of the building, a dozen or so people stood facing the wall. They were speaking in a language Eli recognized as a Latin; _thanks, med school terminology,_ she thought.

   Next to her, Toujou pulled out her phone, and began taping the ceremony; Eli continued to watch.

   Her knowledge of Latin wasn’t strong enough to understand entirely what was going on, but Eli was still locked onto the ritual nevertheless. The chanters stopped, raising their hands to the ceiling; a cold chill ran through Eli’s spine, and suddenly, the lights flickered.

   She turned to Toujou, who was watching in awe. The lights flickered again, then once more; a cold breeze seemed to blow through the barn. For a moment, there was silence, then the chanters dropped to their knees. Each one of them bowed respectfully, and then, began to stand. Toujou grabbed Eli’s arm, and pulled them behind a pile of scrap metal. They watched in silence as the chanters walked over to the pile of molding wood; two of them grabbed the sides of the tarp, and began to pull. The wood was dragged away, revealing a trap door in the dirt.

   “Holy _shit,”_ Toujou whispered. Eli had to admit, she was impressed.

   They descended, and once the trap door snapped shut, Toujou stood up.

   “This is it, Eli!” she said excitedly. “There they are! Real Satanists! They’re the real deal!”

   “Only you could be excited about that,” Eli said flatly.

   “I’m sure there’s _someone_ else,” Toujou said. “Come on, let’s go after them.”

   “Uh,” Eli said, eyeing the trap door hesitantly. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

   “Well, we can’t just let them get away, can we?” she said. “Come on, Eli, we’re armed. We’ll be fine.”

   She started towards the door, and Eli reluctantly followed behind her. Toujou kneeled down in the dirt, and put her ear to the ground.

   “I don’t hear anyone,” she said. “Come on, quickly.”

   She lifted the door, and looked down. “… There’s stairs,” she said. “Convenient.”

   Toujou disappeared, and Eli went down after her. The underground chamber was made entirely of dirt. Two hallways split off from where they had entered; both were dimly lit by torchlight.

   “Gotta admire the traditionalists,” Toujou said. She hesitated and peered down the hallways. “Left,” she said. “I think I hear people talking in the right hall.”

   Eli nodded, and they made their way down the left hallway, guns drawn. .nothing appeared, however, and their walk lasted for several minutes.

   _How big is this place?_ She thought. Finally, the hall began to widen, and an entrance appeared. They emerged into a round room, lit by candles. The light bounced off of crystals and broken glass, making patterns on the walls. In the front of the room was a large stone altar. Behind it, there appeared to be a pit, into which Eli couldn’t see.

   “This just keeps getting _better,”_ Toujou whispered excitedly. Eli rolled her eyes. “Here, Eli, come take a look at this.”

   She gestured to the top of the altar. Set in the stone was a slab of black granite, into which words were carved; Eli couldn’t read them. Directly above them, a tiny skull was set.

   “Is that--?” Eli began.

   Toujou nodded grimly. “Probably.”

   Eli placed a hand over her mouth, suddenly ill. “God,” she said. “Let’s get out of here, okay? I can’t deal with this.”

   “Just one more minute,” Toujou insisted. “Let me get a look at this pit.”

   She peered into the gaping hole beyond the altar, and frowned. “… Can’t see,” she announced. “I bet you your next meal that there’s bones down there, though.”

   “You’re being overdramatic,” Eli said. She wasn’t sure if she was trying harder to convince Toujou or herself.

   “Maybe,” she said. “Let’s hope we don’t have to find out.”

   They left the room, and began back down the long hallway.

   “So do you think we have enough to charge them?” Eli asked.

   “I mean, if that skull is legitimate, we definitely have enough to hold them on suspicion of murder,” Toujou said. “Plus, God knows what’s in the rest place. I bet they can dig something up.”

   “I hate to think about it, but you’re probably right,” Eli said with a sigh. “Did you take any pictures?”

   Toujou waggled her phone at her. “I have this entire place documented.”

   “Great,” Eli said. “That’ll make Nishikino happy—“

   Something black blinded her, and Eli felt a cool rag slip under her face. Next to her, Toujou shouted something, but was cut off. Eli struggled for her gun, but her captor was much stronger than she was, and kept her arms pinned down. She had only a moment to panic before the rag, which she realized was soaked with chloroform, covered the rest of her face, and she passed out.

\--

   Something was crawling on her.

   Eli slowly came to, and once she remembered what had happened, sat bolt upright. The creature that had been crawling on her—a large cricket—hopped away harmlessly. She was sitting in the middle of a field; it was still dark out. Her head hurt like hell, but other than that, she seemed to be unharmed.

   “T—Toujou?!” she stammered. “Toujou?!”

   She looked around wildly; Toujou was lying next to her, still unconscious. “Oh, _Jesus,”_ Eli muttered, gripping her shoulders. “Nozomi, wake UP…”

   “What?” Toujou muttered sleepily. “Eli, what’s going on?”

   “Are you okay?” Eli asked her. “How do you feel?”

   “’M fine,” she said, rubbing her head. “God, that went _terrible.”_

“No shit,” Eli said. She sighed; “Do we still have everything?”

   They both checked their bags; much to Eli’s surprise, everything still appeared to be in order—even her gun, which still contained a full clip.

   “Yeah, I’ve got everything,” she said. “Toujou?”

   “I’m fine, but…” she held up her phone. “All the photos are gone.”

   Eli groaned, placing her head in her hands. “Great. What are we going to do now? We can still bring them in on reasonable suspicion, can’t we? I mean, they did assault us.”

   “I don’t think it’s a good idea to get a whole squad on this,” Toujou said.

   “Why the hell not?!”

   “Like I said, Eli, these people are the real deal,” she said. “Like, the REAL deal, real black magic, real danger. We can arrest them, but there’s no telling who could get hurt; not to mention, there’s a good chance another batch of them will pop up in their place.”

   “So what do you want to do, then?” Eli said. “Toujou, you just said it, these people are DANGEROUS. We can’t just let them go.”

   “I’m not saying we let them go,” Toujou said. “We need to take them down entirely, destroy the source of their power.”

   “Which is?”

   “Well, the altar obviously.”

   Eli sighed, placing her head in her hands and massaging her temples. “Alright,” she said, standing up and extending her hand to Toujou. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

   “You don’t believe me,” Toujou said.

   “When do I ever?”

   “… That’s true,” she said. “But will you still go with me tomorrow night?”

   “Well, of course,” Eli said matter-of-factly. “You can’t go in the alone.”

   Toujou smiled. “Thanks, Elicchi.”

   “… You’re welcome.”

\--

   When they returned the next night, following a clean bill of health from the FBI Medical Offices—“You can never be too careful,” Eli had said—the cracks of light from inside the barn were visible once again. They parked the car a few yards away, and approached the building.

   “So, wait until they disappear, destroy the altar, and start making arrests?” Eli asked, tightening her grip on her Glock.

   “That might be a little bit of a simplification, but sure,” Toujou said. “Are you alright?”

   “Perfectly fine. Why do you ask?”

   “No reason,” she said. “Come on.”

   As they approached the barn doors, Eli could hear more chanting. _Satanists,_ she thought. _My career has gone from top-tier pyramid schemes to Satanists._

She’d be lying if she said she didn’t think it just a little bit cool.

   Toujou nudged open the barn door, which was still unlocked. The group was gathered in the back of the barn again, and Toujou and Eli snuck in, ducking behind a large piece of rusting farm machinery. Between the rusty wires and metal, Eli could see the ceremony taking place in front of them:

   The chanting stopped abruptly; both agents froze, fearing for a moment that they had been sighted. All but one of the black-clad members fell to the ground, save for the man who stood in the middle with one hand raised to the ceiling. A cold breeze blew through the barn, then nothing. The members stood up, moved the pile of wood that held down their trap door, and disappeared inside.

   “That was… anti-climactic,” Eli said.

   “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed,” Toujou agreed. “But maybe there’s still more to come. Let’s follow them.”

   They moved quickly over to where the door was, and went down the dirt stairs underneath. Just as it had been last time, two tunnels appeared before them, lit by candles.

   “The altar room was on the left, right?” Toujou asked; Eli nodded. “Right then. Let’s go.”

   The agents started down the hallway, which, as Eli remembered, had been very long. However, this one came abruptly to an end, with two more passages leading in opposite directions.

   “This wasn’t here last time, was it?” Eli said. “I’m positive it wasn’t.”

   “No, no, you’re right,” Toujou said. “It’s… I don’t know what it is.” She paused to listen, then pointed to the right. “Let’s go that way.”

   Eli followed her down the dirt tunnel, taking careful steps to avoid tripping in the dim light. After about thirty yards, a wooden door took form.

   “That’s something, I suppose,” Eli said.

   Toujou pressed her ear to the door; “I don’t hear anything,” she said. “Come on.”

   She gently pushed the door open, revealing a circular room, about forty feet in diameter. In the center was a large stone well, about three feet tall; a tangle of chains and hooks hung from the ceiling directly above it. The rest of the room was completely dark.

   “What do you think those are for?” Eli asked.

   “I think you don’t want to know.”

   Eli figured this seemed like a pretty reasonable answer, and walked quietly over to the well. The room was silent, but every couple of seconds, Eli could swear she heard something move from within it…

   Her fingers curled over the stone wall, and as she leaned into the darkness, Toujou’s voice echoed around the room:

   “ELI!”

   Light exploded into the room, momentarily blinding Eli and causing her to stumble away from the well. When her eyes adjusted, she saw a circle of black figures surrounding them. Two of them were holding on to Agent Toujou, and the rest were holding flaming torches.

   Eli scrambled for her gun, but it was knocked instantly out of her hand, and skidded across the room. No one was behind her; before Eli could process how it had happened, she was grabbed by two more hooded figures.

   “No!” she yelled. “I am a FEDERAL AGENT OF THE UNITED STATES—“

   One of the figures clamped a damp rag over her mouth. Eli inhaled the familiar scent of chloroform, and saw the same thing happening to Toujou. She gave one more desperate jolt, struggling to free herself, but was overthrown; slowly, her vision began to fade, and Eli felt her knees hit the cold dirt floor.

\--

   Everything was so _hot;_ Eli could feel sweat beading around the base of her neck and hairline. Her body was shaking uncontrollably; her mind felt like it was on overdrive. When Eli opened her eyes, the entire room shook and spun, as though she were on a roller coaster.

   “T—Toujou?” she sputtered. “N-Nozomi?”

   There was a groan from beside her; Toujou was lying on the ground, staring glassy-eyed at the ceiling.

   “Eli?” she said.

   “Y-Yeah, it’s m-me,” she said. “Are you—alright?”

   Toujou paused for a very long time. “… I can see through walls.”

   “I—I’m getting there,” Eli said. “L-Listen, I think—I think we’re h-having a bad trip. I think they gave us… I don’t know, LSD or something.”

   “Eli, I genuinely appreciate the explanation, but I can’t hear my grandmother when you’re talking that loudly,” Toujou said calmly. “Sorry, Obaa-san, go on.”

   “N-Nozomi!” Eli hissed. “S—She’s not there! We’re on drugs!”

   “Not… there…” Toujou said. “Not…” She paused again. “Oh my god, Eli, I think we’re on drugs.”

   Eli sighed, shaking her head to clear away the hallucinations that were hovering in the edges of her vision. “Listen to me,” she said, forcing her voice to keep steady. “I don’t know how much they’ve g-given us, but we need to keep it together, okay? We need to get out of here.”

   “The altar,” Toujou said. She stood, shaky but successful. “Eli, we gotta… the altar…”

   “We’ve got to go to a _hospital,”_ Eli said. She tried to stand as well, but stumbled. Toujou grabbed her arm, and helped her back up. “T-Thank you.”

   “Altar first,” she said firmly. “Then hospital.”

   “Toujou—“

   It was too late. Toujou was already stumbling towards the door of the dark room where they were being kept. Eli wondered why they hadn’t been tied up, but then again, if they’d been any more drugged up, they’d probably have been immobile.

   “C’mon,” Toujou said. “I can see where we’re going.”

   Eli’s first instinct was to argue with her, but she was too busy trying to focus on the ground in front of her, which appeared to be turning to liquid before her eyes. Toujou, who seemed to have a remarkable sense of clarity, hurried them through the hall.

   “Toujou,” Eli gasped. “How can you--?”

   “I don’t know,” she said. “Once you told me what was going on, it was like I came to. I think my brain must work differently, even when under the influence. Not that that’s really any surprise.”

   This gave Eli a lot more questions than answers, but she didn’t have time to ask any of them. A wooden door appeared in front of them; Toujou reached out to grab the knob, but as her hand touched it, she yelped and stepped back.

   “It’s hot,” she said.

   “H-Hold on,” Eli said. She brushed past Toujou, and squared up to the door.

   “Eli, you can barely stand,” Toujou said. “What makes you think you can—“

   Eli thrust the heel of her boot into the wood by the handle of the door, and it burst open. Toujou stared at her.

   “If D-Dock Ellis can pitch a n-no hitter on acid, I can kick down a d-door,” she said. Toujou looked impressed; Eli decided not to tell her the only reason she knew that was because she’d overheard Rin talking about it.

   Inside, the room was dim. Most of the candles were out, but enough were lit to provide light to see by. Toujou shut the door, and began working out how to barricade it.

   “Hey, Eli,” she said. “Look at this.”

   Eli turned around. Toujou was holding the knob in her hand; “It’s not hot,” she said. “The one on the outside is, but this one is fine.”

   “I don’t have an explanation for that,” Eli said flatly. “Let’s j-just get out of here, okay?”

   Toujou nodded, and walked up to the stone altar. From out of her blazer, she pulled a small vial of water and a sheet of paper.

   “Right,” she said. _“Praecepit Deus fiat lux et tenebrae super singulos vesperam non sunt tenebrae et lux penetrat, ubi cum sancto…”_

A bang came from their right, nearly sending Eli into cardiac arrest. Toujou looked up, but didn’t seem phased.

   “W-What was that?!” Eli said.

   “Probably better not to ask,” Toujou said, returning to her paper. _“Patrem omnipotentem, factorem caeli et terrae, luceat lux vestra nos pro malo abluere…”_

Eli felt a chill run through her; the effects of the drugs seemed to be disappearing, or, at the very least, changing. Shadows darted in and out of her line of vision; the sounds of whispering voices bounced off the walls, and filled her brain, so loud that she couldn’t even hear Toujou over the din.

   “Toujou?” she said, covering her ears. “Toujou? N-Nozomi?!”

   “It’s alright, Eli,” Toujou’s voice said through the cacophony of sound in her ears. “Just keep holding on.”

   “Nozomi!” Eli called again. She was shaking; everything was dark and fast, and so, so _loud._

“Just a minute Eli!”

   A scratching noise came from over by the door, and Eli whipped her head around. From the base of the door, a black figure was forming. Eli could only assume it was human; it looked like a hooded cape floating in midair. But watching it made her vision blur and her throat close up.

   “Oh god,” she said. “Oh god, oh god—“

   She scrambled backwards, and felt herself slide against the stone wall of the well in the center of the room. The figure continued to approach her, its black form rippling as it moved, sending chills through Eli’s body.

   “Oh god,” she whispered. “Nozomi, oh god, something is here—“

   No one answered. The voices that had been pounding inside of Eli’s head disappeared; there was only silence. Even her rapid breathing didn’t seem to make a sound. The figure grew very close, and Eli realized now that it was inhumanly tall—seven or eight feet. It leaned down, looking at Eli with a bottomless black pit where a face may have otherwise been.

   _“The water is rising.”_

Eli didn’t so much hear the words, as they seemed to appear in her head. They were voiceless, noiseless, but clear as day in her mind’s eye. Suddenly, there was a loud crack from behind her, and the figure disappeared. Small noises came back to her; the sound of breathing, light footsteps, air blowing in the distance. As she recovered, something eclipsed her vision, and Eli felt arms wrap around her.

   “Are you alright?”

   Toujou’s voice rang loud and clear in her head, working like Novocaine on Eli’s fried nerves. She could still feel herself shaking, but allowed her muscles to relax into Toujou’s embrace.

   “I saw…” she whispered. “I saw _something…”_

“It’s gone now,” Toujou assured her. “It’s not going to come back, don’t worry.”

   They stayed on the dirt floor, silent. Eli felt her heartbeat descending, her breathing falling into synch with Agent Toujou’s own. For one brief moment, she felt herself fall entirely into peace, blissfully ignorant of the violence and evil that surrounded them somewhere deep underground.

   There was a bang from across the room, and they both jumped up. A group of black-hooded figures entered. They didn’t speak or move, just stared at Eli and Toujou. Eli looked from them, to the altar, which had been split entirely in half. There was a brief moment of silence, then Eli took a step forward.

   “My name is Special Agent Eli Ayase, from the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” she said, pulling out her badge from the inside pocket of her blazer. “You’re all under arrest for the assault of a federal agent.”

\--

   “I told you I had to leave early today!”

   “Eli, don’t make me do all this paperwork on my own...”

   It was mid-afternoon in the FBI’s DC headquarters, two days after the incident in the barn. After the cult had been arrested—they hadn’t spoken a word, but came quietly along with their arrest—Eli and Toujou had undergone a brief stay in the hospital to assess their blood levels following their poisoning. Unfortunately, that came with a lot of additional questions, and even _more_ paperwork.

   “I have a doctor’s appointment,” Eli said. “I want to make _sure_ everything is alright. I don’t want any surprises during the next drug test.”

   “Fine,” Toujou said. “But don’t be surprised if there’s a small mountain of health forms sitting on your desk tomorrow morning.”

   “I won’t.”

\--

   The blueish-white light from the screen on the wall was the only thing illuminating the room. Eli sat on an exam table, covered by a thin hospital gown. Her eyes raked the images on the screen; a cross-section of her own body, take minutes previously. She picked out her lungs, her kidneys, the sections of the body that she had spent so long meticulously memorizing during her years in medical school. But there was something else; something that didn’t belong there. A white strip, running down the side of her stomach.

   The door opened, and Eli turned around. Her doctor entered, holding a clipboard.

   “Dr. Ayase?” she said. “I’m sorry I have to be the one to tell you this, but—“

   “I know,” Eli said quietly. “Sorry,” she added, noting the doctor’s surprised facial expression. “It’s just that… I’d rather not hear it out loud. Not just yet, anyway.”

   “I understand, but it’s got to happen. Sooner rather than later, preferably,” she said. “There are plenty of options for you to choose from. We’ve caught this early, which is a good thing.”

   “When I… when I got sick in Cleveland, I thought it was just a virus…” she said. “I never thought that it could be… anything _bigger.”_

“Which is why it’s a good thing you came in when you did,” her doctor assured her. “I’m going to go print off your results, and bring up some of your options. Take your time, alright. If there’s someone you need to call, do so. When you’re ready, come to my office, and we’ll talk about this.”

   Eli nodded soundlessly. The doctor left, and Eli sat in silence.

   _The water is rising,_ she thought. She had dismissed the dark figures and other bizarre hallucinations she had witnessed the other night as part of the drug effects. Maybe they had been something else, but maybe it was her subconscious telling her something she hadn’t realized yet.

   _I’m in deep._

 

 

_I am at the river Styx. The water is deep and cold, but I will dive anyway. There is no boat that has come to ferry me across._

_The challenge is mine alone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Satanism a-la The X-Files. Classic.  
> If you can't tell, I've never taken LSD, so forgive me if this is inaccurate. I looked up the side effects on a couple of different websites, but I don't think it's the same.  
> The plot thickens! The next chapter will be plot-heavy, I promise. The next couple chapters, probably. I'm looking to end this at anywhere from 12-14 chapters, so that's sort of an idea as to where this is going. Godspeed, everyone.  
> Also, I've decided that Florence+the Machine's cover of "Stand by Me" is the perfect NozoEli song for this fic. If you've never heard that song, please go listen to it. It cleansed my soul.  
> I'll see you all soon! Thanks for reading! <3


	9. Search for the Cure, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is sickness of both the mind and body, but no one can treat a sickness of the soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I TOLD y'all I'd have it up before February! HA!  
> Anyway, yes, welcome back to the plot. Remember when I said 12-14 chapters? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh there might be like..... more.  
> Hahahaha oops  
> ALSO, the formatting I had in Word for the black-out parts of the document didn't carry over here, so the parts with underscores? Just pretend those are blacked out.

   The savory smell of garlic wafted in from the kitchen; Agent Toujou stretched out on the worn leather couch that belonged to the United Vigilante, and sighed contentedly. A door opened, and Kotori appeared out of the kitchen, holding a spoon that was covered in a thick, creamy sauce.

   “I hope you’re hungry, Nozomi,” she said, waving the spoon in her direction. “I made that bread you like.”

   “Starving,” Nozomi said; she tried to sound enthusiastic, but exhaustion permeated her voice.

   “You have to leave some for me!” Rin protested from her place on the floor.

   “That’s a good point, actually,” Kotori said, looking at Rin. “Nozomi, you’d better get some first, or Rin’s going to eat us all out of house and home.”

   “That’s not true!” Rin said, frowning. It was absolutely true, Nozomi thought. Rin only weighed 110 pounds, but she ate like a pro football player.

   “Thanks, Kotori,” she said.

   A door opened, and Umi came out, holding a large stack of papers in her hands. She sat down on the couch next to Nozomi, and began flipping through them.

   “I’ve been analyzing some flight data out of Turkey,” she said. “There was a plane crash there last week.”

   “And?”

   “The official statement from the airline said that it was due to an engine malfunction, but I think they’ve been secretly testing out magnetic field-altering technology.”

   Nozomi couldn’t help laughing. “You all really are conspiracy theorists.”

   “I can’t even count how many times you’ve said that,” Umi said flatly. “Hasn’t it been established?”

   “Sometimes it just hits me afresh, that’s all,” Nozomi said.

   The kitchen door opened again, and Kotori came out. She sat down on the couch as well, resting her head against Umi’s shoulder.

   “How’s Eli doing, Nozomi?” she asked.

   Nozomi hesitated. “Better, I suppose,” she said. “I think the shock is finally starting to wear off.”

   “It’s a good thing you caught it when you did,” she continued. “Cancer’s a silent killer, you know?”

   “I’m not entirely sure this is cancer,” Nozomi said darkly. “I told you about what happened on that crashed ship, right?”

   Rin suddenly perked up. “You think this has something to do with the crystals you two encountered?” she asked.

   “I do,” she said. “The doctors are still not entirely sure what kind of cancer it is, and if I had to guess, I’d say they won’t find out.”

   “But you—King Lollywaggins, get _off,”_ she muttered, removing a chubby orange tabby from her shoulder, “weren’t you both infected?”

   “Yeah, but needless to say, my genetic makeup is a little different than hers.”

   “So you think this has to do with your… I dunno, superpower?”

   “It’s hardly a superpower,” Nozomi scoffed. “But yeah, I do. I don’t see any other reason why I wouldn’t have gotten infected.”

   “Any other leads?” Umi asked.

   “No… Well,” she said, remembering her encounter with Inari the other day, “there was one thing. A name.”

   Nozomi pulled out her bag, and rummaged around for her wallet. Out of that, she pulled the small piece of paper she had received earlier; although Inari had warned her to burn it, Nozomi had decided to hang onto it for a little while.

   “Does the name ‘Nico Yazawa’ mean anything to you three?” she said.

   Umi and Kotori looked at each other and Rin shrugged. “Not a thing,” she said.

   “Me either,” Umi said. “But I’m sure I can find out for you, if you’d like.”

   “That’d be great, Umi,” she said. “Thanks. And, Kotori, is something burning?”

   Kotori gasped. “The BREAD!”

   She stood up, accidentally elbowing Umi in the ribs in her haste, and rushed towards the kitchen. Nozomi laughed and reached over to give Umi a consoling pat on the shoulder.

   “K-Kotori…” she wheezed.

   Rin laughed as well, and patted Umi on the back. “That’s love, Umi.”

\--

   Far from the intoxicating smell of Kotori’s cooking and the general warmth of the United Vigilante’s headquarters, there was the stench of disinfectant that lingered heavily over the floors of St. Mary’s Cancer Center. Agent Toujou listened to the clicking of her heels on the white floors, which sounded like gunshots over the hushed talking of the patients and their families. She approached the counter, and held up her badge.

   “I’m looking for Elichika Ayase,” she said. The badge wasn’t _truly_ necessary, but it did tend to speed things up a bit.

   “Ayase…” the nurse said. She ran her finger down a list of names. “Yes, Ayase. Room 306. Do you need an escort?”

   “No, it’s fine,” Nozomi said politely. “Thank you.”

   She began walking towards the elevator, occasionally listening in to the thoughts of other visitors and the patients. They were almost exclusively of death, of loss and longing, of birthdays that had since passed, and wondered how many were still to come. Occasionally, thoughts of hope and recovery cropped up, and they sent little sparks of electricity through Nozomi’s mind.

   Eli’s disease had plagued Nozomi like a sickness of her own; after all, Nozomi thought, it had been _her_ fault for getting Eli involved in her conspiracies. Eli had been to assigned to her, she hadn’t _chosen_ Nozomi, and Nozomi had pulled her in without any regard for her partner’s safety.

   But Eli would never blame her. Nozomi knew that, and vowed not to bring it up, unless Eli should say something first. She turned the stainless-steel handle to room #306, and peered inside.

   “Eli?”

   The other agent looked up from her bed, where she was reading a hefty-looking novel. Inside of the cramped hospital room, wrapped in a thin white and blue gown, Eli seemed more fragile than Nozomi had ever seen her.

   “How are you doing?” Nozomi asked, fully entering the room.

   “I suppose I’ve been better,” she said, trying to summon a little bit of humor into her voice. She gestured at the chair by her bed. “Sit down.”

   Nozomi obliged, and handed her a small container. “Here. Kotori’s homemade melon pan. I think there are macaroons in there, too. I told her that your doctor probably wouldn’t let you eat sweets, but she was insistent.”

   “Thanks,” Eli said, laughing. She accepted the container, and looked inside. “It looks incredible. Kotori’s a miracle.”

   “Those two would die without her,” Nozomi said flatly. “Rin thinks that instant noodles and saltines is an acceptable meal to eat three times a day, and Umi would give herself an ulcer.”

   “Not to mention the cats,” Eli added.

   “The cats!” Nozomi said dramatically. “It’s an army! A battalion! A small country of nothing but cats, with Rin as their benevolent leader! I can only imagine what she would create if left to her own devices.”

   Eli was laughing now, and Nozomi smiled as well. Just then, there was a knock on the door, and they both instantly sobered up.

   “Come in,” Eli said.

   A doctor entered the room, a white man in his forties. “Dr. Ayase?” he said. “I have some test results for you.”

   “Go on.”

   He looked over at Nozomi. “Ma’am—“

   “She can stay,” Eli said firmly. She looked over at Nozomi and nodded, then back to the doctor. “In fact… I would prefer it.”

   Nozomi felt her heart lift a little, and the doctor, although confused, continued. “The spot on your stomach, it’s… not quite something we’ve seen before. It’s definitely cancerous, but it’s not… well, it’s not something typical. I really… It seems to be destroying mitochondria in healthy cells, and replacing it with its own.”

   “Can I see the results?” Eli asked, frowning. The doctor handed her his clipboard, and she began scanning the pages. “… This says my sodium levels are high. What does that mean? How is it related?”

   “Well, it wouldn’t be, but it’s been… steadily rising since you’ve been here,” he said, turning the clipboard to a page with a plotted chart printed on it. “See, this was last week…”

   Eli and Nozomi exchanged glances from across the room. _High sodium levels?_ Toujou thought. _That’s the opposite of what was happening on the ship._

“These cancer cells,” the doctor continued, “they’re not only infecting the others cells in your body, but it seems as though they’re speeding up cell oxidation at increasingly higher rates.”

   “Oxidizing?” Eli said. “Are you suggesting that I’m… _aging?”_

“Well, that’s not necessarily the case,” he said. “Like I said, this isn’t quite like anything we’ve seen before. We can’t jump to any conclusions just yet.”

   “You’re right,” Eli said lightly; her voice barely disguised her panic. “Thank you, doctor. Was there anything else?”

   “Nothing immediate,” he said. “We’re going to continue looking at the tests and see if we can pin down just what this thing is. In the meantime, avoid salt, and let us know if _anything_ changes, anything at all, even a short cough.”

   “I will,” Eli assured him. With all of his concerns apparently taken care of, the doctor left, and she turned back to Nozomi. “What did you make of that?”

   “You’re the doctor,” she said with a shrug. “As far as my medical knowledge goes, that was just a very, very long way of saying ‘it’s bad.’”

   “Very helpful,” Eli teased. “But the sodium… why would it be rising? After what happened on the ship—?”

   “I don’t know yet,” Nozomi said. “But look—I’m going to figure this out. Maybe there’s something that we’re not seeing. I’ll look around through the X-Files and see if there’s anything that looks related.”

   “Thanks,” Eli said. “I want to get back to work as soon as possible—“

   She was suddenly overtaken by a coughing fit, and Nozomi rushed towards her. Eli fended her off with one hand and coughed into her other elbow.

   “I’m fine,” she wheezed. “I’m fine, don’t worry.”

   She pulled away her elbow, revealing a light-red bloodstain on her skin. Nozomi stared at her, but Eli shook her head.

   “That’s not abnormal,” she said. “The doctors told me it was just because the majority of the tumor is in my stomach…”

   Nozomi handed her a bundle of tissues from the bedside table, and Eli began dabbing gently at the blood.

   “… You don’t have to stay, you know,” Eli said quietly. “You can go if you’re busy.”

   “I am busy,” Nozomi said firmly. “Busy being here.”

   Eli didn’t look at her, but Nozomi could see her smiling. “Thanks, Nozomi.”

   Nozomi moved her chair so that she and Eli sat shoulder-to-shoulder, their arms pressed firmly together. “You’re welcome.”

\--

   A 2-foot-high stack of case files blocked the light coming from the lamp in Toujou’s office, leaving half of the office in darkness. It was approaching 9 o’clock in the Washington D.C. FBI headquarters, and Agent Toujou was approaching her third cup of coffee. She’d spent the last couple of hours poring over hundreds of cases from the X-Files; there were super-powered mutants, aliens of all shapes and sizes, demon possession, and even the occasional werewolf, but so far, nothing that seemed to pertain to Eli’s sickness. She reached over to her “unread” pile, and picked up the next case.

   _Case #5302-X / Somerville, MA_

Nozomi remembered that one; it was one of the very first cases she and Eli had worked on together. Prometheus had been behind that one, she thought. She remembered Eli’s indignity at having the military interrupt their investigation.

 

   _Field Report: Ayase, Eli_

  * _Medical Exam (Transcription)  
“Special Agent Eli Ayase performing the autopsy for case #59253. The date is March 27th, time is 4:23 PM. Victim is white male, approximately eighteen years of age, medium built, appears healthy. I’m going to make the first incision, lateral across the chest. Note: victim appears to have several gray hairs… As well as inflamed joints. I’m going to take some additional scans.”_



 

   The victim, Nozomi thought. A young man in his teens, perfectly healthy, who had died suddenly of heart failure. After some investigation, she and Eli had discovered an experimental drug planted in the water system, which was responsible for the death. Among other things, the drug’s most general effect was to cause the victim to…

_Age._

   Nozomi gasped, nearly knocking her coffee off of the desk as she scrambled for the rest of the file. Over the din, she heard a voice say:

   “What are you still doing down here, Agent Toujou?”

   Nishikino was standing in her doorway, looking genuinely confused. She appeared to be on her way out.

   “Oh,” Nozomi said. “I just had to finish up some paperwork.” She paused. “… What about you?”

   “I had a meeting,” she said quickly. Nozomi frowned; _we’ll see about that._

She focused in on Nishikino’s mind like a bloodhound following a trail. However, instead of a stream of consciousness, Nozomi was confronted with nothing but silence.

   “Don’t work too hard,” Nishikino said.

   “I won’t,” Nozomi said, but she wasn’t paying attention. How was Nishikino blocking her out? Did she _know?_

   The director disappeared into the darkness of the hallway, and once Nozomi was sure she was gone, rushed into the hallway. Still lingering over the tile floors, masked slightly by the smell of air freshener, was a sickeningly sweet perfume. It was a smell Nozomi encountered only a few times previously, one that was signature to the only person that, up until now, had been able to block her out—the Twin-Tail Woman.

   Realization shot through Nozomi like electricity, and she was momentarily paralyzed as her brain worked frantically to determine what to do. _Nishikino’s office,_ she thought.

   As Nozomi rushed towards the elevator, she muttered a quick prayer under her breath. _It’s not as though breaking into Nishikino’s office is the riskiest thing that I’ve done,_ she thought. _But it’s definitely the most likely to cost me my job._

The elevator dinged to the third floor, where the Assistant Director’s office was, and Nozomi walked calmly through the hall, looking out for any lingering agents. No one appeared, and when she approached the door to Nishikino’s secretary’s room, found it unlocked. She shut it quietly behind her, and tried the door that led to Nishikino’s office. This one was locked.

   Nozomi held her keycard up, and, to her surprise, the locked beeped open. _I’ll have to call Umi and see if she can erase that out of the log,_ she thought. However, that was a problem for future her, and she pushed open the door to the office.

   It still smelled sickeningly of flower perfume. Nothing seemed out of place, however; she briefly considered attempting to break into the computer, when something else caught her eye.

   Behind the American flag, which was standing near the far wall, was a small dot of black. Nozomi squinted at it, and realized that she could see a faint rectangular outline as well. _Is that a door?_

It was. Cleverly concealed behind flags and portraits, was a small wooden door, which blended in almost completely with the rest of the wall. The handle was locked, but, Nozomi thought, this was something she could take care of with a hairpin.

   After a few minute of finagling, she managed to open the door. Behind it, was a long, dark hallway that seemed to go on forever. Toujou took out a flashlight, and entered.

   _What part of the building is this even in?_ she wondered. It didn’t seem like something that was easily concealed; then again, there didn’t seem to be a lot in it, either. The walls were empty, up until the very end, where a single door sat waiting for her.

   Nozomi turned the handle, and was surprised to find it was unlocked. She quietly pushed it open, and peered inside. Inside was empty and silent, sans the dull droning of a computer. She fumbled for a light switch, and the overhead fluorescent lights hummed to life.

   The room was largely barren, with only a small window, a desk, and a filing cabinet. On either side of the wooden desk were flags—one of America, one of Japan.

   _How deep does this go?_ She wondered, inspecting the Japanese flag. Were there other countries who were a part of this? How many? And _why?_

She moved on from the flags to the desk. The computer, which was obviously locked, didn’t provide any information. If she had more time, Nozomi thought, she might contact the vigilante, but she was probably already pushing it as it was.

   Most of the drawers were locked, as well. The one or two that weren’t were virtually empty; there were several bottles of a perfume Nozomi didn’t recognize, some pink ribbons, and a large, unlabeled container of pills. Nothing that seemed to help her.

   Just as she was beginning to give up hope, Nozomi spotted something out of the corner of her eye. A piece of paper, which had fallen underneath the filing cabinet.

   She scrambled to pick it up; much to her disappointment, much of it was blacked out. However, there was still enough to give her a lead. In the upper right corner was a black and white photograph of a woman with long hair, who Nozomi realized was the Twin-Tail woman; she hadn’t recognized her with her hair down. Even through the picture, Nozomi could still feel a chill in her eyes. _A mind on mute,_ she thought. The rest of the page was just text.

   _#9520: Yazawa, Nico_  
   Birthday: 7/22/_____  
   Blood Type: A  
   Siblings: __________

_Association: Project Geno_

_Physical Description: #9520, Yazawa Nico, is approximately 154cm, with black hair and fair skin. For unknown reasons, subject’s eyes are a red color, similar to that seen in albinism. Parents ____________ and ___________ did not possess any such traits, therefore, it is assumed the mutation is a side effect of ________.  
   Summary: After the success of T______ in 19__, project leader Dr. Gary ___ developed a more refined strain of _

_**BANG!**_

Toujou let out a shriek, nearly dropping the paper, and scurried to the other side of the room. Her vision was clouded by fear, but she could see a hole in the wall about the size of a bullet.

   _Who’s shooting at me?!_ she thought frantically. It was probably not a good idea to stick around long enough to find out, however, and she ran for the door, keeping her head tucked down. When she reached Nishikino’s office, she drew her gun, expecting there to be people waiting on the other side; to her surprise, the room was empty. She ran back to the hallway, still keeping a sharp eye out for any movement.

   _What am I going to tell Eli?_ She thought. _Should I even tell her in the first place? She’ll probably just start to worry. I can’t stress her out even more, it’ll just make her worse._

She reached her car, which, thankfully, didn’t appear to be booby-trapped, and sped out of the parking garage. The Vigilante, she thought. Umi, surely, would be able to help; she took out her phone and dialed Umi’s cell number.

   “Hello?”

   “Umi,” she said. “You’re never going to BELIEVE what I found—“

   There was a horrible retching sound in the back, and Toujou cut herself short. “What on earth was that?”

   “Oh, Rin ate some bad squid casserole and gave herself food poisoning,” Umi said flatly. “I told her not to, but she only ever listens to Kotori.”

   “Well, that’s gross, but listen to this,” she said. “There was this secret room in Nishikino’s office—“

   “A secret room?!” Umi demanded. Nozomi grinned; Umi was usually too polite to interrupt, which meant that Nozomi already had her interested.

   “Yeah, another room, leading to this office,” she said. “And there’s this paper I found—Umi, you three are going to _love_ this—“

   “Come over right now,” she said hurriedly. “I—Rin, you know that food poisoning isn’t contagious, stop that—I have to see.”

   “Thirty minutes.”

\--

   Nozomi rapped smartly on the door to the United Vigilante’s headquarters; there was a series of clicks from the other side, and the door opened to reveal a sliver of Umi’s face.

   “… Password?” she said.

   Nozomi rolled her eyes. “Umi, for gods’ sake, it’s _still_ me.”

   “Even when she’s sick, Rin is still paranoid.”

   She opened the door the rest of the way, and Nozomi followed her inside. Rin was sitting on the couch, wrapped in a paw-print blanket and clutching a silver pot. Kotori was sitting next to her, patting her on the back.

   “Hey, Nozomi,” she said cheerfully. “Umi was saying you’ve got something for us?”

   “I do,” Nozomi said, gesturing with the paper. “How do you feel, Rin?”

   Rin looked up from the pot, gave her a thumbs-up, then proceeded to vomit. “Oh my god,” Kotori said, jumping up from the couch. “Rin, honey…”

   She ushered her into the kitchen, leaving Nozomi with Umi. Nozomi handed her the paper, and Umi began scanning it.

   “Where did you say that you found this?” Umi said.

   “I went into Nishikino’s office, and there was a door in the back,” she explained. “I wouldn’t have even noticed it if I hadn’t been looking for something out of the ordinary.”

   Umi raised an eyebrow. “You _went_ into her office?”

   “Okay, I broke into it,” she said. “It doesn’t matter. Anyway, I followed it down the hallway, and it led to an office that I’d never seen before; this was the only thing I could find that seemed useful.”

   “It’s awfully marked up…” Umi muttered.

   “It’s the best I could do.”

   Umi nodded, returning back to furiously pursuing the document. Nozomi peered over her shoulder, and picked up from where she had left off:

 

   _…a more refined strain of v. _______, which triggers the appropriate genetic development in first-trimester fetuses. Using the strain, numbers 9519 and 9520 were born in 19__. Although #9520 was a success, #9519 failed to show similar abilities, and was released into government custody._

_#9520 displays remarkable power, more capable and precise than any of its predecessors. V. ________ mutations have also granted it immunity against chronocellular, or, has it been nicknamed by several scientists on the project, “Chrono Cancer.”_

_Currently, #9520 is active on Project Meliora, while #9519 has been decommissioned._

   “Does this mean anything to you?” Nozomi said, looking at Umi.

   Umi shook her head, still not taking her eyes off the paper. “There are a thousand rumors of government projects to create human weapons, this could relate to any of them. This Nico Yazawa, though—you think this is about her?”

   “I’m positive of it,” Nozomi said. “I’ve seen her hanging around Nishikino’s office. They’re connected somehow. This… this ‘chronocellular,’ this could be what Eli has.”

   “I’ve never heard of it,” Umi said. “But Rin might know something. When she starts feeling better, maybe she can help.”

   “I’ll try anything she has to offer,” Nozomi said, tucking the piece of paper back into her bag. “… Except the squid casserole.”

   “That’s probably a good decision,” Umi said flatly. “In the meantime, send me a photo of her. I’ll run it through some databases, and see if I can get anything on her face. I doubt it, but it could be worth a try.”

   “Thanks, Umi,” she said. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything. Tell Rin to drink some tea, or something.”

   Umi chuckled. “I think Kotori’s got her covered.”

\--

   The next day, Nozomi was sentenced to do the paperwork that she had been spending the past week procrastinating on—“a problem for future me,” she had said. And a problem it was; while her mind was swimming of thoughts about Eli and the Twin-Tail woman, she was confined to a desk for a solid eight hours. It wasn’t until that evening, when her pen graced the final information disclosure form, that she felt herself begin to relax.

   Fortunately, forcing herself to work had let the quieter parts of her mind stir up a plan. There wasn’t time for the Vigilante to try and find answers; that could take days, and Nozomi wasn’t sure just how much time Eli could spare. It was time for direct action.

   After she had broken into the office the previous night, surely, the Twin-Tail woman would know. She would confront Nishikino about it—sometime in the evening, after the main amount of traffic had already gone through. If it was her that blocked Nishikino’s thoughts from Nozomi—and Nozomi had a strong feeling that it was—all she would have to do is wait until she could no longer hear Nishikino. That would mean the woman was there; after that, it was just a matter of waiting for Nishikino to leave.

   There was a small, unused office nearby Nishikino’s own, and Nozomi took up residence there once she finished the last of her filing. From inside, she could just barely hear Nishikino’s thoughts, like a TV left on somewhere in the background. Right now, they were about espresso and an online stress management class. Nozomi chuckled; Nisihikino seemed like she could really use both of those.

   Fifteen minutes passed, and then thirty. Nozomi was surprised at how, no matter what thoughts preoccupied the majority of Nishikino’s mind, there was still some part of her thinking about food. Pizza and pasta, especially, lots of things with tomatoes; _she doesn’t eat enough,_ Nozomi thought, and briefly considered ordering her a pizza. Just as she was wondering what kind of toppings Nishikino ate, the broadcast fizzled out, as if someone had pulled a plug on her mind. She jolted upright, suddenly alert to every sound. For ten minutes, nothing came, then she heard a door open and close, and saw a flash of Nishikino’s fiery red hair disappear down the hallway. Once she was out of sight, Nozomi ran quietly to her office, which was fortunately still unlocked. Inside, the smell of flowery perfume still lingered; Nozomi crossed the room to the hidden door, and quietly slipped inside. The smell of perfume was even stronger within the hallway; keeping her gun close to her side, she slowly approached the door at the end. It was cracked open, and on the other side, Nozomi could hear someone moving. She took a deep breath, and quietly slid into the room.

   “Don’t move,” she said. The person, who had been standing by the filing cabinet, froze. Her back was to Nozomi, but she could still tell it was Yazawa.

   “Put your hands behind your head and turn around,” she said. Her voice was much stronger than her mind.

   The woman obeyed, gently interlocking her spindly fingers behind her head, and turning to face Nozomi. Even from across the room, Nozomi could feel the heat of her red eyes.

   “Agent Toujou,” she said calmly. Her voice was high-pitched and sickeningly sweet. “This is a surprise.”

   “Don’t talk,” Nozomi said.

   “Well, I thought that you _came_ here to talk,” Yazawa replied flatly. “You want to make some sort of deal with me.”

   Fear seized Nozomi’s mind; it hadn’t occurred to her that the Twin-Tail woman would be able to read her thoughts as well.

   “Yes,” she said, still keeping her gun pointed at the woman. “My partner is sick. I want the cure.”

   “Or else?”

   “Or else I’ll kill you,” she said.

   Yazawa was a few inches shorter than Nozomi, so when she turned to look her in the eyes, her face seemed to narrow even more. “You really think you can kill me?”

   Nozomi swallowed hard. “I do.”

   A half-smile played across Yazawa’s face. “… You really don’t know who I am, do you?”

   “I know who you are,” she snapped. “Nico Yazawa, Jully 22nd, blood type A, also called ‘number 9520,’ and I know that you’re dangerous.”

   “You’ve done your research, but you just don’t _know,”_ she mused; her light-hearted tone made Nozomi furious. “You’re so close to the truth, Nozomi. What if you just held out a little longer?”

   Something about the woman calling her by her first name infuriated Nozomi even more. “I don’t care about who you are, I just want the cure for Eli.”

   “And if I don’t give it to you, you think you can shoot me?”

   Nozomi felt her gun lower by half an inch. “Because, believe me, you can’t,” Yazawa continued. “You may think it’s possible, but it just continues to prove how little you _actually_ know about what’s going on here. So, if you can’t kill me, what’s your next plan? Why should I give you the answer?”

   Her hands were shaking now; as badly tempted as Nozomi was to pull the trigger, she felt that Yazawa was being serious—she couldn’t kill her if she tried. But without the threat of death, what did she have left?

   “I—I’ll expose you,” she said. “I’ll blow all of this wide open.”

   Yazawa actually laughed. “Now you’re the new top New York Times reporter? You think you can just expose me, just like that? You think that I’m the only force at work here? Agent Toujou, you are in much, much farther than you know.”

   _Shit,_ she thought. Yazawa was right. She was so horribly, painfully, gut-wrenchingly _right,_ and Nozomi hated every second of it.

   “I’ll make you an offer,” Yazawa said flatly. “Go ahead and leave. I won’t follow you, and neither will anyone else. No one will make any attempt on your life. It’ll be as though this never happened, and you can walk away with a clean slate.”

   Nozomi hesitated. Yazawa raised an eyebrow at her; “I would _really_ like to suggest that you listen to me, okay?”

   “… Fine,” Nozomi spat, lowering her pistol. “But it’s not over. Not until Eli is cured.”

   She smiled. “You’re quite determined. I guess blood really is thicker than water.”

\--

   Nozomi drove towards her partner’s apartment, her head clouded with thoughts of the Twin-Tail Woman—or, Nico Yazawa, she supposed. She’d told Eli that she would feed Socks (she was also under strict orders not to distribute any treats, but Nozomi was sure that she’d end up slipping the tuxedo cat a spoonful of tuna anyway), but it was difficult to concentrate on anything. Not even the D.C. traffic could jar her out of her trance, until the sound of water dripping broke the din.

   _One New Email_

Nozomi snatched the phone off of her dash; after checking that she had time to look, she opened up the new message.

   _11:45. Behind the bar on Jackson and 3 rd Street West. You know the routine.  
   -Inari_

Socks would just have to wait a little longer. Nozomi switched lanes—not an easy feat in bumper-to-bumper traffic—and headed towards her new destination. A tip from Inari was exactly what she’d been hoping for—without any new information, pinning Nico Yazawa and who she was working for would be near impossible. At the very least, it would take a lot of time, and Nozomi wasn’t sure exactly how much time Eli had.

   After fifteen tense minutes waiting in the parking lot of “The Rabid Possum,” Nozomi’s car door opened; she jumped, but didn’t instinctively reach for her gun like she had the previous time.

   “It’s nice not to be greeted by a shotgun,” Inari said. She was eating another rice ball. Nozomi momentarily considered asking her why she always had food with her, but thought better of it.

   “It would be nice if you knocked,” she said flatly.

   Inari ignored this. “I have to say, I almost admire you. Not many people can charge into Nico Yazawa’s office and live to tell the tale.”

   “What do you know about her?!” Nozomi demanded. “Who is she?!”

   “A living weapon, and the pretty mastermind behind the largest conspiracy of the 21st century,” she said. “I cannot stress how lucky you are to be alive. What did you think you could gain by confronting her?”

   “I need answers,” she hissed. “Eli might not have much time left.”

   “The only thing a reckless move like that is going to get you is killed,” Inari said flatly. “Listen. I can only keep you so safe. If you put your life on the line, I’m not risking mine to save it.”

   “I don’t need you to save me.”

   “Are you sure about that?” she said. “Because I’m pretty sure that’s a GPS tracker underneath your dash.”

   Nozomi jolted, and grabbed at the underside of her dashboard. Indeed, there was a small device underneath, no bigger than a fingernail.

   “She said it would be like nothing ever happened--?” she said.

   “And you believed her?” Inari said. “Honestly, Toujou, not even you’re that naïve.” She looked behind them, and said: “Tomorrow afternoon, I’m going to send you an email to this address.” She handed Nozomi a piece of paper with “fw439hgc@gmail.com” written on it. “Create the account with this name. Write down the information on a separate piece of paper—NOT on your phone or computer—then delete the email and the account. Understood?”

   Nozomi nodded, placing the piece of paper inside of her glove compartment. “Good,” Inari said. “Go home, lock your doors, and close your blinds. I’ll be in contact with you soon.”

   She stepped out of the car without another word. Nozomi leaned back in her seat, and exhaled.

   “I’ll find the cure, Eli,” she whispered at the ceiling. “I’ll find it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to use the end notes to promote things  
> FIRST, my Haikyuu!! fic, which you should check out if you like aliens and awkward romance: http://archiveofourown.org/works/5784499  
> Second, my Tumblr, which is @sailor-rinn  
> Third, some fics from my friends:  
> "Everybody Wants to be a Cat," a MakoHaru AU: http://archiveofourown.org/works/7858729/chapters/17944966  
> And just Catlover0 in general, who is going to be posting an IwaOi fic very soon. I've read the first chapter and it is GOOD STUFF OP, so she'd better post it.
> 
> Anyway, that's all. I'm living in Sweden rn, so there's sort of a weird time difference, but this should be okay. I know I haven't been as good at responding to comments lately, but I promise that they all mean a ton to me, and I love you guys!!! <3


	10. Fun in the Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli is really, really terrible about taking her work home with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HO SHIT HERE WE GOOOO  
> Welcome back! This update has been a very long time coming. I've been kinda busy, but I'll never forget about you guys!  
> Fun fact: this chapter is EXACTLY 5000 words. I'm very pleased by this.

   Warm sunlight stretch out across the beach, reflecting off the ocean and illuminating massive hills of sand. Waves crashed on the shore, which was otherwise empty; a crab scuttled across the waterline.

   Eli leaned back in her beach chair, and took a long, deep breath in; the beach smelled like saltwater and peace.

   _You need a vacation_ , Nishikino insisted. When Eli had been released from the hospital the previous week, she’d attempted to return to work, only to be blocked by her director. _You’re a good agent, Ayase, and we want you back, but you’re going to overwork yourself._ With some additional convincing from Toujou, Eli had booked herself a ticket to Florida for the rest of the week; eager to get away from the rush of the big city, she had flown to a small coastal town with a beach, a supermarket, two bars, and not much else.

   Her phone beeped from inside her striped tote bag, and Eli reached to pull it out. It was a text from Toujou:

 

   [Nozomi Toujou] _Enjoying your time off?_

Eli smiled, and set down her margarita to text back.

 

   _I think I needed this a lot more than I realized. How are things in D.C.?_

   [Nozomi Toujou] _Slow. I thought about investigating a werewolf case down in Arizona, but Nishikino has me locked down. She’s got me on desk duty :c_

   Toujou was a grown woman with a doctorate and a government job who used emojis in her texts. Eli couldn’t help but smile.

 

   _Trust me, I’m sure I’ll be back before you know it._

   [Nozomi Toujou] _Well, for gods’ sake, go enjoy yourself. Put your phone down!_

   Eli smiled a little wider and replaced her phone in the bag pocket, then reached down to tip the brim of her sun hat over her eyes. From next to her, the sound of her email notification was just barely audible over the sound of waves; Eli happily ignored it.

\--

   When she woke up an hour later, Eli found herself much tanner than she had intended, and quickly packed her thing back into her bag. She walked the twenty yards or so back to the little cabin she was renting, and set her sand-covered flip-flops and towel on the railing. Once she was inside, Eli made a beeline for the fridge; alcohol and a lot of sun made for a serious appetite. She swore when she realized that she’d eaten the leftover steak from last night earlier that afternoon; this meant a trip to the store.

   Fortunately, it wasn’t a very far walk from her rental, and Eli enjoyed a walk through the sunshine. As she stood in line for the register, the headline of a local newspaper caught her eye:

_THIRD VICTIM MISSING IN STRING OF BIZARRE ATTACKS_

She took a copy out of the stand, as she approached the cashier, held it up.

   “What’s been going on?” she asked.

   The cashier shrugged. “If I knew, we wouldn’t need the headline,” he said. “Guy went missing a couple of weeks ago—pretty good sign of a struggle, good amount of blood, and that’s it. He didn’t have any enemies or anything, I’d seen him around once or twice. Same thing happened last Wednesday, and now, I guess it’s happening again.”

   “Do they have any leads?”

   “From what I’ve heard, the working theory is an animal attack, but there aren’t no animals around here that could do that,” he said. “Maybe an alligator or a bear, but they don’t have much business wandering around here. Besides, someone would have seen them.”

   Eli nodded absentmindedly. “Yeah…” she said. “… Can I get a copy of this?”

\--

   She left the store with a bag full of groceries and a copy of the local newspaper. Eli groaned a little as she took another look at the headline, then stashed it back into her bag.

   _You’re supposed to be on VACATION, Eli,_ she thought. _That means relaxing. NOT solving cases._

In retrospect, she thought, she should have known that there was no way she was going to get away from work for more than a day. It was part of her now.

   When she returned to her rental, Eli put the groceries into the fridge, and sat down to study the article. Like the cashier had said, the police seemed to believe the disappearances of animal attacks—although, Eli had to admit, even for animal attacks, these seemed vicious. Massive signs of struggle, blood spattered everywhere… and to have three in five weeks, with no one sighting any sort of animal roaming around? Certainly suspicious.

 

   _What do you know about cryptids in Florida?_

Eli sent the text message with a resigned sigh. Normally, jumping to conclusions like monsters was her _last_ resort, but Toujou had influenced her quite a bit, and well, Eli supposed, cryptids weren’t _terribly_ unscientific. After all, thousands of species were lurking on the earth, waiting to be discovered, although for one of them to be a vicious, man-eating predator _did_ seem a little unlikely.

 

   [Nozomi Toujou] _So, vacation on pause, then?_

Eli sighed. _I’m just asking._

[Nozomi Toujou] _Of course. How could I forget about your ravenous curiosity on the subject of cryptozoology?_

_Just answer the question._

   [Nozomi Toujou] _Alright, alright. The only ones I know of are the Skunk Ape, the Muck Monster, the St. Augustine Monster, the Lake Clinch Monster, and some sauropod sightings back in the 50’s. Other than that, Florida is surprisingly quiet. You know, for Florida and all._

   Eli took down the names of the cryptids that Toujou had listed, and began Googling them individually; none of them seemed to be possible culrpits; many of them were too far away, or simply didn’t match the description of the local newspaper. Just as she’d finished reading an article on sauropods in the Floridian swamps, another text message came in from Toujou:

 

_So, what IS going on down there?_

   Eli sighed. There was no way she was going to get away from this one.

 

   _Some people are going missing. Looks like animal attacks, but could be something more._

   [Nozomi Toujou] _As totally excited as I am about you reaching cryptids as a conclusion on your own, remember that you’re supposed to be on vacation, okay? I’d come help, but like I said, Nishikino has me on a tight leash with you gone._

That wasn’t much of a surprise, Eli thought with a slight smile. She herself wasn’t able to do much about Toujou’s eccentricities either, but she’d definitely had more success than her predecessors.

 

   _Thanks. I’ll get some rest, I promise. I’m just curious._

With that, she set the phone down on the counter, and with the newfound resolve to enjoy herself, heated up the stove for dinner.

\--

   This resolve, however, was short-lived. The next morning, as Eli set out on another walk to the nearby grocery store—she had forgotten orange juice the last time—a flurry of activity on the next street caught her eye. Several police cars and an ambulance were parked on the side of road, and an officer in his late twenties was speaking to a small crowd that had gathered.

   “Excuse me,” Eli said. She pushed her way through the crowd, towards the policeman. He opened his mouth, probably to tell her to stay back, but quickly closed it when Eli pulled out her badge ( _“You actually brought your badge with you on vacation?”_ Toujou’s voice asked incredulously in her head). “What’s going on here?”

   “It looks like an animal attack,” he said, possibly out of instinct. The officer appeared to regather his wits, and frowned at Eli. “What’s the FBI doing here? Isn’t this a problem for local authorities?”

   “Right place at the right time,” Eli said quickly.

   If there had been a body at any time, it had been removed; several dark red blood stains were still on the sidewalk, but otherwise, it had been entirely cleaned up.

   “Where’s the body?” she asked.

   “It’s been moved,” the officer said firmly. “Listen, this isn’t your jurisdiction—“

   “It just _became_ my jurisdiction,” Eli said with equal firmness. “This is the fourth person killed, isn’t it? And you still have no leads. Unless you’re interested in more people dying, I’m entering the investigation. Or, I could contact my office in D.C., and I can have them send an entire team down.”

   The officer set his jaw, considering Eli’s words.

   “… The body was found a little past six A.M. this morning,” he said with a sigh. Eli smiled. “Some tourist lady out jogging. Scared her half to death; she’s with the paramedics now, being treated for shock. The body itself was so mangled that we haven’t been able to get an ID. We didn’t so much move it as we did scrape it off the sidewalk.”

   “I want to look at it as soon as possible,” she said, starting towards the ambulance. “And if you haven’t already, go check the surrounding yards for animal prints; it rained last night, maybe something passed through while the ground was still wet.”

   The officer muttered something under his breath and turned to a group of his colleagues that had been watching with cautious interest. Eli, meanwhile, approached the back of the ambulance, where a woman in workout clothes was wrapped in a shock blanket. Eli smiled comfortingly down at her;

   “My name is Special Agent Eli Ayase,” she said. “I work for the FBI. Is it okay if I ask you a few question?”

   The woman nodded quietly, and moved over so that Eli could sit beside her. “I’m sorry if some of these questions seem repetitive,” she said. “But can you tell me exactly what happened?”

   “I went out on a jog,” the woman said simply. “And I saw him lying on the sidewalk, so I went up to him, and he was just…” she shuddered. “He was completely torn to pieces. I called the police after that.”

   “Did you notice anything strange?” Eli asked. “An animal you’d never seen before, maybe? Tracks or prints?”

   She shook her head. “No, not really… Though, last night, there was something.”

   “What?”

   “I doubt it’s related…” the woman said. “I went on a walk, down by the woods near the highway, and I heard something big moving around. It scared me, and I thought it was another person, so I called out, but there was no answer. It got a little closer, and I ran. I don’t know what it was.”

   “Where was this?”

   “Near highway five, where it comes out next to Blaine Street,” she said, pulling out her phone. “Here.”

   She pointed to a spot on the map, and Eli clicked for the coordinates. She wrote them down on her own phone;

   “Thank you,” she said. “We’ll look into it today. It was probably a cougar attack.”

   The woman nodded complacently, and Eli went back to the police officer.

   “How was your interrogation?” he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Eli ignored him.

   “Issue a county-wide curfew,” Eli instructed. “Tell everyone to be inside by the time it gets dark, and warn them to bring their pets inside, especially if they live near wooded areas. Have animal control ready—what’s the number for the nearest branch?”

   The officer frowned. “What do you think this is?”

   There was a brief silence, sans for the murmur of the lingering crowd, and the sound of the ambulance engine revving. Eli looked at her phone, where the coordinates were still open, and said:

   “I don’t know.”

\--

   [Nozomi Toujou] _How’s the monster hunting going?_  
  


   The text from Toujou had come several hours into Eli’s failed attempts at “relaxing.” She’d tried everything she could think of—margaritas on the beach, yoga, meditation, even bad television. Her mind was all work. _Maybe this IS how I relax,_ she thought grimily.

  

   _It’s not monster hunting,_ she said firmly. _It’s a case._

[Nozomi Toujou] _I take it the vacation is over, then?_

_Maybe this IS my vacation._

   [Nozomi Toujou] _That wouldn’t surprise me._

Eli rolled her eyes and set the phone back on the table. The sun was beginning to go down, and if Eli’s hunch was right—and they usually were—this was a creature that hunted at night.

   She strapped her gun into its holster— _if Toujou thinks that it’s bad that I brought my badge, wait until she hears this,_ she thought—and placed it into a black backpack, alongside a water bottle, a flashlight, a thermal imaging camera that she had borrowed from the police station, and bear spray. She picked up the bear spray and examined it; _hope this works on monsters._

A confused Uber driver took her to the coordinates the women had specified on her phone.

   “You sure you don’t want me to drop you off somewhere else?” he asked.

   “Positive,” Eli said politely, handing him small tip. “Thank you.”

   He stuck around for a couple of minutes, then drove off, leaving Eli alone in the semi-darkness. She pulled the flashlight from her bag, and began scouting the area; nothing seemed particularly out of the ordinary. Except for a couple of birds, the area was entirely empty.

   Maybe the thermal imager would reveal something, Eli thought. She turned it on, and the screen lit up in a rainbow of colors; nothing registered above 80, however, except the aforementioned birds.

   However, as she began to get closer to the woods, a small heat signature registered on the screen. It wasn’t very large—maybe a few feet across—but it was something.

  She pointed the flashlight straight ahead, and began moving towards the signature. Twigs cracked under her feet, making her jumpy and nervous; _there’s nothing to be afraid of,_ she told herself. _Monsters aren’t real. Monsters are not real._

A brown mass appeared on the ground where the heat signature was. Eli gasped, and took a step back; a deer lay on the ground, completely mutilated. It was very recent; the body was still warm, and there was fresh blood on the ground.

   _This doesn’t look like a panther attack…_ she thought. _And I don’t know why a crocodile would come this far inland just to hunt…_

From in the distance, there was the sound of a large branch snapping. Eli’s hand flew to her gun, and she spun around to face where she’d come. More snapping; the crunching of leaves. Eli took out the thermal imaging camera; something was coming towards her, fast.

   She lowered the camera and turned off her flashlight, squinting in the moonlight to discern the approaching shape. It was within ten feet of her. She slowly slid her hand along the barrel of her gun, and pulled it back with a resounding _click._

“What the hell are you doing?”

   A moment of intense fear passed through her, then Eli realized that the approaching shape was human. The officer who had been at the body earlier appeared out of the woods.

   “What’re you pointin’ that gun at me for?” he asked.

   “I didn’t know what you were,” Eli said, annoyed. “What are you doing out here? How did you even find me?”

   “This is still my jurisdiction,” he said. “If there’s something going on out here, I want to know about it. I got the coordinates from the woman you spoke to earlier. I’m not as dumb as you think.”

   “I never said you were dumb,” Eli said flatly. “I _implied_ you were hindering my investigation.”

   “You mean _my_ investigation.”

   “No, I don’t,” Eli said. “And don’t bother to be here if you’re just going to argue with me,” she added quickly. “I’ve got much larger things to worry about than a city cop.”

   He frowned, but appeared to give up. “What ‘larger things’ do you think are out here, exactly?”

   “That’s what I’m here to find out,” she said. He didn’t look like he was going to budge; Eli sighed. “You can stick around, but if something happens, you’re on your own.”

   “Good,” he said stubbornly. “Fine.” There was a brief moment of silence. “… What did you say your name was again?”

   “Ayase,” she said. “Eli Ayase.”

   “Officer John Drici.”

   “Pleasure.”

   “Really?”

   “No,” she said flatly. “I was just being polite.”

   He didn’t respond to this, but Eli could feel Officer Drici’s eyes burning holes in the back of her head. “Do you know what could have done this?” she asked.

   Drici approached the corpse. “Yuck,” he said. “I’d say a cougar attack, but this is unusually vicious. No claw marks, either. You think whatever did this is the same as what’s been killing those people?”

   “It’s possible,” she said. “Help me look for where it could have gone.”

   They split up, searching the woods. There were no footprints, but a trail of broken branches and small flecks of blood gave them an idea of a trail. It wound its way out of the woods and back to the road, where it stopped without a trace.

   “… Go check the other side,” Eli said. “I’ll look here.”

   To her surprise, he went to the other side of the road without argument, and began searching for tracks. Meanwhile, she began inspecting the road. About ten yards to her right, a storm drain opened in the side of the road. She knelt down to look inside; a bit of blood was smeared at the opening.

   “Drici,” she said. The sound of footsteps from the other side of the road stopped. “Where’s the nearest sewer access?”

   “You think it’s in the SEWERS?” he asked, walking up beside her.

   She pointed at the bloodstain. “It makes sense. It’d be an easy way for something large to get around without being seen; and I bet if you went back to all the past crime scenes, there’d be storm drain openings somewhere near by.”

   “If there’s an opening, the next manhole would be another mile or two down the road,” he said.

   “Too far,” Eli said. “We’re going to lose it.”

   She sat down on the road, and began to inch her way into the drain. Fortunately, the drop wasn’t very far, and she landed with a splash in the water below. From the street, Drici was watching her with something like amazement.

   “Are you coming?” she asked.

   “Oh, yeah,” he said, quickly sliding down after her. “Let’s go.”

   They pursued the darkness further into the sewer drain; it smelled disgusting, and the silence was only broken by their footsteps and the sounds of sharp exhales as they tried to clear the smell from their nostrils. As they walked, the clicking of Eli’s heels was suddenly muffled by an unpleasant _squish._ The pair stopped, and Eli pointed her flashlight.

   “Oh, fantastic,” she muttered. The suede material of her shoe was stained with blood; she had stepped in what appeared to be a chunk of torn flesh.

   “I, uh, have some wet wipes back in the squad car,” Drici said jokingly.

   “I think they might be a little out of their league here,” Eli said, but she was smiling. She pointed the beam of the flashlight down the tunnel to their left; more blood and occasional chunks of flesh marked the cement ground.

   “I guess that’s our trail,” Drici said. He didn’t sound very enthusiastic.

   Eli turned down the tunnel, careful not to step in any more globs of unknown corpse. After about thirty yards, as she was beginning to give up, a loud splash echoed through the tunnel, causing herself and Drici to jump.

   “… Maybe something fell,” he said with an air of forced calm.

   “That was a pretty big splash,” she said. “And what would be falling down here?”

   Neither of them spoke. Finally, Eli put away her flashlight and pulled out her cellphone, and turned down the brightness so there was just enough light to see by.

   “This way,” she instructed. Drici came up behind her, and they moved in unison with the light of the phone.

   In the darkness, something was moving. Eli could hear the sound of rippling water from somewhere in front of her.

   “In my bag,” she whispered, “there’s a thermal imaging camera. Can you reach it?”

   Drici didn’t respond, but went immediately for her bag, and handed her the camera from inside. Eli turned it on, and pointed it downward towards the water. Nothing happened.

   “Shit,” she muttered, looking up. “Where—“

   “Hold on,” Drici hissed. “Look at that.”

   Eli’s head snapped back to the screen. From around the corner, a long, thin heat signature appeared, snaking its way through the water. It wasn’t very hot, but it moved with a pattern.

   “Whatever that is, it’s above the water,” Drici said. “These don’t see through water.”

   “It’s what, twenty feet long would you say?” Eli said, not taking her eyes off the screen.

   “At least,” he agreed. “What the _fuck_ is that?”

   Suddenly, the signature dove underneath the water and disappeared. Eli and Drici both looked up, then at each other, and began to follow it through the tunnel. After about thirty feet, it turned a corner, and Eli realized there was no bridge to the other side.

   “SHIT,” she said.

   “Here, hold on,” Drici said. He took a few steps back, then ran to the edge of platform, and jumped. He was almost a solid foot taller than Eli, and landed easily on the other side.

   “Come on,” he said, watching her expectantly.

   Eli looked hesitantly down at the murky sewer water. She was only 5’3, with legs that wouldn’t reach a gap of this size.

   “Come on,” he repeated. He held out his arms; “I’ll catch you. Just jump.”

   She took a deep breath, and with the help of a running start, launched herself over the water. Eli felt herself sail over the gap, and as promised, Drici caught her under the arms on the other side, helping her stand on the other side.

   “Thanks,” Eli said. She looked in the direction the creature had gone; “Let’s get going.”

   They began to run, paying much less attention to the amount of noise they were making in favor of catching up to the creature. Finally, they reached a dead end; a large cement platform held a ladder that led up to the surface.

   Eli pointed the thermal camera back at the water. “I don’t see anything,” she said, disappointed. “Maybe it—“

   She was cut off by a hand on her shoulder. “What are you doing--?”

   Drici was gaping over her shoulder. Eli followed his gaze, and gasped.

   Something was poking out of the water; it was maybe a foot across, covered in ridges that reflected the moonlight that was peaking through the holes of the manhole cover.

   “Wait,” Eli said; it looked familiar. “That… That’s just an alligator snout, there’s nothing to worry—“

   She was interrupted by a loud splash; the gator bucked out of the water, and Eli felt the words die in her mouth. The snout of the animal was at least two feet long. It pulled the rest of its massive body out of the water, and Eli could do nothing but stare.

   “Holy shit,” Drici said weakly. “Holy shit, that’s gotta be, what, 25 feet long? More?”

   Eli shook her head, silent. Her eyes scanned the ridged back, and down to the animal’s powerful tail, which looked strong enough to knock over a grown man with one swing.

   They both waited in silence, not eager to give away any hints at their position; Eli remembered reading that crocodiles had good smell and hearing, but to classify this thing as a crocodile, in her opinion, could be a stretch. The massive animal sniffed around, grunting indistinctly. Eli was on edge every second, until finally, it determined there was nothing of interest to be found, and slipped back into the water.

   “What the _fuck,”_ Drici said, awestruck. “Listen, agent, I’ve lived in Florida my whole life, twenty-nine years, and I’ve never, NEVER, even heard of something like that—“

   “I doubt it’s a normal crocodile,” Eli said, pulling out her flashlight. “Come on, we need to follow it.”

   She began to jog down the tunnel; “What we need to do,” Drici said, catching up to her, “is call _animal control._ They’re better equipped to deal with this than we are.”

   “No sense in losing it now,” Eli said. She pulled her gun out of the bag, and quickly checked her clip. “This thing is probably still hungry. I can’t risk letting it attack again. You, however, are welcome to go if you don’t think you can handle it.”

   “That’s not what I meant…” Drici muttered.

   They continued through the winding tunnels, with only the occasional heat signature from the water to guide them. The monster didn’t show any signs of stopping—finally, they began to approach another wide area, and Eli had an idea.

   “Give me your club,” she instructed, and Drici handed it to her. She dipped the tip into the water, and began to splash it around. From a few yards away, there was a ripple in the water as something approached them.

   “Are you out of your MIND?!” Drici demanded, following Eli as she began to walk backwards, keeping the club in the water.

   “Probably,” she said. “Do you have a gun on you?”

   “I’ve got a Taser.”

   “That’ll work.”

   Eli pulled the club out of the water, and they both ran to the platform at the end of the tunnel, where she knelt down, and began splashing again. There was more rippling from down the tunnel.

   “Get back,” Eli said, taking a few steps back herself. “It’s going to—“

   She was cut off by the monster exploding from the water, jaws wide, revealing huge teeth that reflected the dim light. It let out a terrible roar, sending Eli and Drici stumbling backwards.

   “Do… alligators make that sound?” Eli said, not taking her eyes off the creature.

   “Not normally.”

   The gator turned its massive snout upwards, and sniffed at the air. Then, it’s beady black eyes turned upon Eli and Drici, huddled in the corner.

   “I’m assuming you’ve got a plan?” Drici whispered.

   “Yeah,” she said. “Here.” She handed him her gun. “I’m going to go distract it, you take it out. Okay?”

   He nodded, and Eli ran over towards where the ladder to the surface rested. “HEY!” she yelled. “HEY!”

   The gator turned to watch her jump and down erratically, then slowly began advancing towards her. Just then, Drici got his grip on Eli’s gun, and fired two shots into the monster.

   “Good,” Eli said. “That should slow—“

   The gator, however, seemed nothing more than moderately annoyed at the bullets, and turned its attention to Drici. Before he had a chance to regain his grip, the gator has swept its massive tail around, knocking his feet out from under him. The gun went sliding across the floor, and Drici scrambled back into the corner.

   Another growl echoed through the tunnel as the monster lumbered towards Drici, who was too terrified to speak. Eli scrambled across the cement floor and scooped up the gun, just as the monster’s nose came within inches of Drici.

   “HEY!” she screamed; her voice echoed off the walls and filled the entire chamber. “OVER HERE!”

   The gator looked up, and Eli took as precise of an aim as she could at the inches between its eyes. She fired twice, and as quickly as the encounter had began, it was over.

   Eli lowered the gun, shaking. The monstrous gator lay dead in the middle of the cement; it gave her uncomfortable flashbacks to her time in Ohio. From the corner, Drici said:

   “Uh… thanks.”

   “You’re welcome,” Eli said, but she wasn’t paying much attention. Instead, she knelt down next to the massive alligator, and began examining its corpse. “This can’t possibly be natural,” she said. “Look at this thing. It’s nearly ten yards long.”

   “Call me a conspiracy nut, but there was a big chemical plant that shut down recently not too far from here. I always kind of wondered what they did in there.”

   Eli frowned. “Do you know what it was called?”

   “Hmm.” Drici thought for a minute, then looked at Eli. “Yeah. Prometheus.”

\--

   The next morning, Eli sat at the counter of her vacation house, sipping a homemade mimosa and scrolling through her phone. After cleaning up the alligator incident the night before, she had spent a few hours researching the Prometheus branch that had apparently existed for a few years, but it was, at this point, long gone. Instead, she chose to open up a text message to Toujou:

 

   _You won’t believe the week I’ve had._

As she clicked “send,” there was a knock on the door, and Eli set her mimosa down on the granite countertop. When she opened the door, Drici was standing outside, holding a newspaper.

   “Hope I didn’t wake you up,” he said, holding out the paper. “But last night made it into the news. Thought you might want to see.”

   Eli accepted the paper from him; on the front page was the headline: _LOCAL COPS TAKE DOWN KILLER CROC IN FLORIDA SEWERS._

“They don’t mention you or the FBI in there at all, though,” he said. “I know the editor of that paper, though. I can call in and have them make a correction if you’d like.”

   “No, that’s alright, but thank you,” Eli said. She winced at the thought of Nishikino finding out she’d spent her “time off” hunting down monsters and using the FBI card on (unused) bear spray.

   "I was thinking…” Drici said. “I know D.C.'s an awful long way, but maybe you'd like to get some dinner sometime."

   Before Eli could respond, a vibration came from her skirt pocket. A text from Agent Toujou had come in; Eli smiled at the phone, and tucked it safely back inside her pocket.

   "Thanks," she said. "But… I’m all tied up for now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit happens in Florida, what can I say?  
> So this was obviously a filler chapter, but the next two chapters are going to be hitting the plot HARD. They're also going to be out much faster, since I have them planned out much better. I can't wait for y'all to see them!  
> Check out my other ongoing fic "Aliens Exist" or hit me up @sailor-rinn! See you guys soon!


	11. Red Ribbons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys it's me your friend neighborhood fanfic author.  
> Like it says in the tag, this chapter contains some sexy stuff, as promised (almost), so if you wanna give that a skip, use ctrl+F, or cmd+F if you're on Mac, and enter "--" (two dashes) once it starts getting XXX, and the first one will take you all the way past that. I don't think it's non-con, but it could arguably be dub-con, so if you think you might not be okay with that, please feel free to skip it.  
> Anyway, we're back in the plot streak, I hope y'all enjoy!

   Maki Nishikino squinted at the artificial glow of her computer screen, the only source of light in her DC office. The clock had just passed 11; it wasn’t unlike her to stay past hours, but it was starting to get late.

   Just as her fingers dusted the power key, a knock came from the door. Maki opened her mouth to call them in, then stopped. The knock hadn’t come from the main door, which led out to her secretary and the rest of the building, but from the small wooden door in the back. Only one person ever came through that door, but she wouldn’t…

   As Maki’s mind raced, she remembered a smell that had been present in her office when she arrived that morning. One that smelled overwhelmingly like flowers, flowers and…

   “Come in,” Maki said, almost against her will.

   The door creaked open, and Maki braced herself. From within the darkness, a small figure stepped into the room. She had pitch-black hair, which was tied into low twin-tails, and slanted red eyes. _Devil’s eyes,_ Maki thought. The twin-tail woman advanced a few steps towards the desk, and Maki’s grip on the edge of table tightened.

   “Are you nervous to see me?” the woman asked. Her voice, despite being high-pitched, make Maki shiver.

   “Not at all,” she said, forcing her voice to stay steady.

   The twin-tail woman’s suffocating gaze bored into her. “Are you sure?”

   The power in the office flickered and the lamp on Maki’s desk came to life, bathing the surface in dim yellow light. An electrical hum filled the air.

   “I’m not here to hurt you, assistant director,” the twin-tail woman said.

   “Then why are you here?” Maki said. There was a spark of anger in her voice.

   The woman didn’t respond. “Why are you suspicious of me, Maki?” she continued. A chill went through Maki every time the woman said her name.

   “Why are you here?” she repeated firmly.

   The woman frowned. She placed herself on the edge of Maki’s desk, allowing her short black skirt to slide up her thigh.

   “You’re smart, Maki,” she said. “I thought you’d know.”

   “I—“

   “In fact…” the woman’s red eyes glowed in the light like liquid steel. “I know you do.”

   A pit opened up in Maki’s stomach. The woman slid off the desk and strode over to her so they were practically nose-to-nose.

   “Agent Toujou,” she said sharply. “And her new partner.”

   “Ayase,” Maki breathed.

   “If that’s her name,” she said. “Maki, I had her and Toujou assigned to you for a reason. Ayase has fallen ill and Toujou is searching for a cure. They cannot come any closer.”

   Maki inhaled quietly. “I can’t—“

   “You will,” the woman ordered. She leaned in so Maki could feel her breath grasping at her lips. “Don’t forget about our deal, director.”

   There was silence; the room was empty, sans the sound of their breathing.

   Suddenly, a smile played across the woman’s face. It was plastic and cold, more machine-like than it was human. “… And now you’re thinking about me. What is it, Maki? No one to go home to?”

   Maki blushed furiously, groveling in the pleasure she knew it gave the woman. “Tell me, Maki,” she purred. “Is your office door locked?”

   A hotness overtook Maki’s chest, spreading from her naval all the way to the edges of her face.

   “N-No…”

   A metallic click from the right side of the room interrupted her. The twin-tail woman smiled, stretching her thin lips.

   “It is now.”

   Like a snake coiling to strike its prey, the woman leaned away, then attacked. The heat building up in Maki’s core shot through her face, especially as the smaller woman braced herself against her chest. One limber hand slid under her blazer and in between the buttons of her shirt. Maki broke away with a gasp as the hand shifted away the cup of her bra and grabbed her breast. The woman’s grip loosened, and she looked up through her bangs and into Maki’s eyes.

   “What’s wrong, Maki?” she breathed. “I know you want this. I can hear you thinking about it.”

   Maki looked away, embarrassed. “Avert your eyes any way you wish, but it won’t keep me out of your head. I can see right through you, everything you want to do, every pent-up desire.” She hesitated, her eyes still piercing into Maki, and slid her fingers underneath the younger woman’s chin. “What’s that?” she mocked. “You want me where? Between your legs? You taste so good when you’re stressed, Maki…”

   She let out a shuddering breath, and didn’t resist as the woman began to undo the buttons of her shirt with the same cold smile. “Or maybe you want me to bend you over the desk, like last time? See how many fingers I can fit inside of you? I’ll find that one spot again. The one that makes your knees knock together like a little school girl touching herself through her panties behind the playground.”

   Maki was shaking now, flushed with heat despite the fact that her chest was fully exposed. The woman continued to tease her, rubbing her nipples between her thumb and pointer finger.

   “It feels good, doesn’t it, Maki?” she said. “Of course it does. You have a small chest, but you’re so sensitive… What did you say? Harder?”

   She pinched her fingers, and Maki let out a strangled cry. The woman tugged on her breasts, with no sense of tenderness, watching in quiet delight as Maki shuddered with pleasure.

   “Have I teased you enough?” she asked. Maki couldn’t find the strength to answer; her body was on fire and her brain wasn’t far behind. Even her vision seemed to blur as the woman kneaded her B-cups between her small fingers.

   “I’ll take that as a yes,” she said. “In that case, Maki, you may want to sit down… it’ll make it easier for both of us.”

   Maki’s legs had been seconds from giving out as it was, and she willingly collapsed into her desk chair. The woman’s smile widened.

   “Good girl,” she cooed, making Maki’s vision blur again. “Now put your legs up for me. And pull up your skirt.”

   Maki obeyed soundlessly, wiggling her hips frantically to hike up her tight pencil skirt so that she could spread her legs, using her heels to hook onto the edges of the desk. The woman dropped to her knees, moving in closer so that she was looking up at Maki from the chair.

   “Are those new panties?” she asked; her voice might have been playful, if she was capable to feeling such a thing. “They’re cute. Purple looks so nice with your hair. I hope you didn’t spend a lot of money on them.”

   She reached out and hooked her fingers around the front part of the elastic. Before Maki had a chance to brace herself, she pulled upwards, hard, forcing the fabric between her labia; Maki cried out, and the woman smiled.

   “I’d hate to ruin a nice pair of expensive panties.”

   Maki whispered something like “please,” and the twin-tail woman gave another tug or two on her panties before pulling them around her legs.

   “God, you’re so wet already, Maki,” she mused. “It’s been that long for you, has it? Your pussy is throbbing…”

   Maki moaned in humiliation, eliciting a slight giggle from the woman. “You’re so lewd,” she said. “And so fucking juicy. I’m not sure who’s going to enjoy this more.”

   There was no point in Maki even trying to answer at this point; she gripped her breast with one hand, using the other to brace herself against the chair. The woman’s head disappeared out of sight, and Maki threw back her head as a tongue licked the length of her labia, twisting in and out of the slit, and finally settling on her clit. Groans of protest came from her office chair, which was threatening to collapse under the weight and salacious movement of its owner, but Maki ignored it, choosing instead to grip the armrest so hard that her fingernails threatened to tear the leather. A pair of slender fingers slid inside her, and Maki fought to keep her legs from shaking.

   “Oh my god,” she breathed. “Oh, oh god…”

   The woman didn’t respond, but Maki could feel her face twisting into a smile against her skin. “Eager, are we?” she said, her voice muffled.

   Maki moaned in response. The woman’s fingers danced inside of her, snatching away Maki’s breath every time they hit their mark. Warmth spread between her legs, and she came with a strangled cry. The dim lights of the office blurred momentarily, and the only sound in her ears was that of rushing blood. When she finally came down, the woman was still kneeling between her legs. Her face was taut, with no signs of the pleasure that had been there only minutes before. Maki knew not to try and reciprocate any of her actions.

   “Why,” she gasped. “Why don’t you ever…?”

   “I don’t like to be touched,” the woman said flatly.

   Maki paused, struggling to catch her breath. “Do you… do you even feel pleasure?”

   “… I feel pleasure in my success,” she said. “That’s all.”

   Slowly, Maki readjusted herself in her chair, ignoring the wetness between her legs. “Did they make you like this?” she asked. “Just take out any inclination towards human compassion you could ever feel?”

   “I made myself,” Nico said coldly.

   Maki’s eyes narrowed, and she tilted her head knowingly. “Are you sure about that?”

\--

Seventeen years previously

   “Very good, Nico. Now, make it move again.”

   A young girl, not much older than twelve, sat at a blindingly white table in an equally white room. Two men, one in a dark suit and one in a lab coat, watched her.

   The girl swept a bit of long black hair out of her face. When she looked up at the men, her eyes flashed a dangerous red.

   “Why should I?”

   From inside the pocket of his lab coat, the man on the right pulled out two thick, shiny crimson ribbons. “I brought you a new set of hair ties. I know you hate it when your hair gets in your face.”

   Nico eyed the ribbons hungrily, then turned back to the table, where a wind-up clock sat on the white surface. She squinted, her thin eyebrows narrowing into a V, and slowly but surely, the hands of the clock began to turn. They spun faster and faster, and the hum of the gears filled the room.

   “Stop.”

   The clock fell silent, and Nico looked up at the man, who was giving her a plastic smile. “Good job,” he said, handing her the ribbons. Nico immediately began parting her hair into two even sides.

    _Why does she do that? How old is she?_

Her ears perked up at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. His mouth was closed and his expression set, but Nico heard his every word.

   _I’m not sure I want something that demands reward for every simple task. Dr. Izumi said she was perfect, a success. I paid millions to—_

“I like putting my hair up,” she said. The man in the lab coat seemed relatively unfazed, but the suited man looked as though he’d been struck.

   “We know, Nico,” the lab coat man said, making notes on his clipboard. “You always look pretty.”

   “He asked,” Nico said, pointing to the man, “why I put my hair up.”

   The suited man appeared unable to speak. Lab coat turned to him and smiled.

\--

Five years later

 

   Nico moved silently through the throngs of people, totally unnoticed aside from a child who had stopped the admire the lavender ribbons holding her ponytails. She was better than any weapon, any concealed gun or vialed poison. She was a living, breathing machine. She opened her pink compact mirror; she was _pretty._

Loud feedback came from the stage a couple hundred yards away, causing the crowds to cry out in protest and take several steps back. Over the din, a man’s voice spoke:

   “If I could have everyone’s attention!” The crowd began to simmer down. “Ambassador Banks will be speaking in just a few seconds. We thank you all for your patience.”

   Nico continued to stand firm in her place in the crowd, running over the given instructions in her mind: _simple, quick. Be smart. Be silent. You’ll get your reward once you return._

There was a small buzz from the stage as a grey-haired man stepped up to the podium. Lights and camera flashed, momentarily blinding him, and he held up his hand for silence. As a hush overtook the crowd, he leaned into a microphone bearing the “NBC” logo and began to speak:

   “American people, I want to start out by thanking you, from the bottom of my heart, for coming all the way to your nation’s capital today to hear me speak,” he said. “We are in violent times, and if we wish for peace, then it is exactly this sort of international cooperation that needs to take place.”

   There were murmurs of agreement from the crowd. Nico wasn’t paying attention; instead, she was counting:

   _Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen…_

“Of course, I want to also extend my gratitude to the president and his staff, for their very warm welcome.”

   _Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three…_

“I understand that negotiations are never easy. But the mark of the good negotiator is someone who is able to provide not only for his own needs, but the needs of the other person.”

   _Twenty-eight, twenty-nine…_

“Which is what I’m here to do.”

   _Thirty._

“Working together, I think that the conditions outlined in the Orlando Treaty could—“

   He didn’t make his point. The ambassador collapsed, both hands clutched at his heart, and Nico stared him down like a hawk stalking prey. She could feel his body shuddering, the palpitations of his heart, _hear_ his mind racing, before it all went black, and she was suddenly aware of the panicked crowd around her.

   “Stay back! Stay BACK!” a police officer was yelling as hundreds rushed towards the stage. More officers yelled similar statements as neon-clad paramedics rushed the stage, pulling the limp ambassador from the wood. Nico rushed in the opposite direction, pretending to be as distressed as the crowd around her, but internally praising her own success. Surely, this was good enough for Dr. Arland.

   A black car with heavily-tinted windows and government plates was waiting for her at the edge of the street. Nico calmly entered the side door in the back and sat down, allowing herself to sink into the leather seat. In the cup holder, a bright red box with the word “POCKY” emblazoned on the front was pointing up at her. She happily tore open the top, and reveled in the smell of the thin, chocolate-coated biscuits. When she had been young, these were her reward for completing tasks. She broke off the end of the bittersweet chocolate; it tasted like success.

   She ate slowly, taking the entire car ride to enjoy the taste of her first reward, until they arrived at an upscale hotel in the center of the city. Nico let herself out, and walked up to the double glass door, which opened for her. _Just_ for her.

   The elevator took her to the eighth floor, where she found her way to room 803. Three knocks on the door, followed by a four-second pause, and then two more. Briefly, there was silence, then there was sound of locks clicking, and the door opened.

   “Good job, Nico.”

   A man in his forties was inside the room, waiting for her with his hands crossed in front of him. From inside his coat pocket, he pulled a small pink compact, and handed it to Nico; this one was shaped like a cat, with cute whiskers protruding from the plastic on either side. She opened it up, and found that there was a light face powder inside, which smelled pleasantly of flowers.

   She inhaled deeply, and the man gave her a puzzling look. “You like the way it smells?”

   “Yes,” she said. The room was silent; it was not often that Nico encountered silence. But Dr. Arland was one of the few silent people in her life; the one mind she could not read.

   “You’ve earned it,” he said, taking a seat at a large mahogany table. “Sit down. We have something to discuss.”

   Nico did as she was told, taking a seat in the velvety armchair and facing the man at the other end. “Did you like being out in the world today?”

   Nico nodded. “Would you like to do it again?”

   She nodded again. “Good,” he said. “Because I have more jobs for you to complete, all over the world. And there are many more prizes to be won.”

   He gestured at her new compact. “Of course, these are all frivolities when compared to our real prize.”

   Nico flipped open the compact, and studied herself in the mirror; the smooth, untouched curves of her face, her bright, blood-red eyes, the thin mouth yet unpuckered by age. She smiled.

   “Of course.”

\--

Six Years Later

 

   It wasn’t often that Nico encountered new people in the laboratory. The staff that tended to her and to the other projects of the Newhart Lab were very carefully selected, and did not see much turnover. It caught her by surprise, therefore, when she noticed a spot of bright red hair from down the hallway.

   She stopped in her tracks. “… Who is that?”

   Dr. Arland looked up, and followed her gaze. “That’s Nishikino,” he said. “She’s working on her doctorate with us.”

   “A student?” she said. “She must be… unusual for her to be allowed to work here.”

   “Almost as unusual as you,” he said calmly.

   Nico squinted at him. There seemed to be something else, something he was not telling her, but Arland’s mind remained a silent anomaly, and she was without answers.

   The next two weeks, Nico continued to see the new intern around the laboratory, and with each day, she grew more and more curious. The lab had never taken in interns before; their work was heavily guarded, and to trust a student with their secret knowledge was almost unthinkable. Several times, she had tried to read her mind; however, like Dr. Arland’s, it had become silent. She wondered if he had anything to do with it.

   One particularly dark afternoon, she made the mistake of eating lunch alone in one of the break rooms, and that’s where Nico had found her. This was the first time she had seen the new girl up close; her bright red hair was cut just above her shoulders, and she had a shrewd face with thin, narrowed eyebrows. She didn’t notice Nico.

   “You’re new here.”

   The new intern—Nishikino, Nico remembered—started, dropping her sandwich and spinning around in her chair. She saw Nico standing near the doorway, and a familiar expression crossed her face—fear, Nico thought.

   “Y-Yes,” she said, trying very obviously to sound braver than she really was. “I’m a student at John Hopkins University. I study biotechnology.”

   “What’s your name?”

   “Nishikino,” she said. “Maki Nishikino.”

   She extended her hand, offering Nico a nervous smile. Nico hesitantly accepted it.

   “What’s yours?” Nishikino asked.

   “… Nico,” she said very simply. “Only Nico.”

   “Would you like to sit down?”

   Nico looked to Nishikino, then down at the chairs. Slowly, she took a seat. It was difficult to tell exactly what Nishikino was thinking at this point, but she had a feeling the other woman’s interest in her was more scientific than it was friendly.

   “Do you… live here?” Nishikino asked. Nico nodded. “Do you like it?”

   “It’s alright,” she said.

   Nishikino’s smile faltered a bit, as she was clearly uncertain how to continue. “Would you like something to eat?” she asked, holding out a bag of potato chips.

   Nico studied the bag with cautious curiosity. “… I’m not supposed to eat anything outside of my diet,” she said after a moment of deliberation.

   “Oh,” Nishikino said, quickly putting them down. “Of course. Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

   “It’s fine,” Nico said. “… Why are you here?”

   Nishikino looked startled by the question. “Well… to learn, I suppose,” she said. “I’m mostly just an observer.”

   Nico’s head fell to the side slightly as she studied Nishikino through her claret-red eyes, narrowed slightly, but still curious. “Nobody here is only an observer.”

\--

   “Do you get along well with Nishikino, Nico?”

   Doctor Arland’s voice came from across the room, and Nico looked up from her book; recently, she had been brought a small selection of them, and was beginning to enjoy them. This one was _Pride and Prejudice;_ it was about beautiful people leading beautiful, rich lives.

   “I suppose,” she said, returning to her page. “Why do you ask?”

   “I see you and her together quite often,” he said. “You appear to be friends.”

   “I like having someone to talk to,” she continued.

   “You have many people here that you can talk to.”

   Nico hesitated, then turned the page of her book. “She’s different,” she said stubbornly.

   “In what way?”

   Nico frowned and snapped her book shut, placing it on the table and turning to face Dr. Arland. “Why do you ask?”

   “She’s doing quite well here,” he said. “We have big plans for her. I was hoping I could count on your cooperation.”

   “Of course,” she said. “What should I do?”

   “Nothing more than what you’re doing now,” he assured her. “But I hope that you like the outside, because you’ll be spending a lot of time there, _Izanami_. _”_

   Nico’s thin mouth curved into a smile. “I do.”

­--

   A matter of weeks had passed. Nico and Nishikino sat together in an examination room; Nico wore a white hospital gown, which matched Nishikino’s pristine lab coat. In her hand was a clipboard and a reflex hammer.

   “… And your right leg,” Nishikino said, gently tapping Nico’s right knee with the hammer. It swung out in response, and Maki nodded. “Good. You seem to be all checked out.”

   She made a few notes on her clipboard. “Your blood sugar’s a little lower than normal, but it’s probably nothing. I’ll check with your dietician—“

   Nishikino stopped mid-sentence. Nico had reached out and touched her face with one delicate hand; she froze as the older woman carefully turned her head to the side, watching Nishikino with her cold eyes.

   “Do you think I’m human, Maki?” she asked.

   Nishikino reached up and wrapped a hand around her wrist, like she was going to pull Nico’s hand away, but she didn’t seem to have the strength. “… Yes,” she said after a long pause. “You were born. You can talk to me, express wants and needs, you’ll die. You’re human.”

   Before Nico could respond, she felt an electric tingling spread up her spine and into her head. A rush of voices filled her head and her vision blurred, as though she were underwater; all of a sudden, one voice became clearer than the others.

   _Why is she asking me? What’s going on?_

Maki’s voice.

   A grin spread across Nico’s face, and she jumped down from the examination table, causing Nishikino to take a couple of steps backward. She didn’t understand why or how, but now, Nishikino’s thoughts were her to explore.

   “That’s where you’re wrong, Maki,” she said excitedly. “I’m not going to die. I’m going to live _forever.”_

Nishikino didn’t respond, only stared at Nico, her hand pressed against her chest in surrender. Nico frowned.

   “You’re afraid of me,” she said matter-of-factly. “That’s not very surprising, I suppose. You think I could kill you, and I could. But Maki, what if… what if _you_ lived forever?”

   Nishikino couldn’t hide her spark of curiosity. “I can make that happen,” Nico said. “I can give you everything you’ve ever wanted. _Ever.”_

Nishikino was purposefully avoiding her eye now. Nico’s own eyes narrowed, and her gaze bore through Nishikino like a power drill.

   “Are you lonely, Maki?” she asked.

   “I… I wouldn’t say so,” Nishikino said quietly. She was lying.

   Nico’s eyes narrowed, and she arched her head in Nishikino’s direction. “Are you sure?” she said. “Long nights alone in the lab? Days spent filled with papers and the only company is the occasional email of your professor? Life as a student can be a solitary one.”

   Nishikino was watching her, eyes brimming with fear and curiosity. Nico wound her thin fingers into the fabric of Nishikino’s lab coat, and pulled her down so that they were face to face.

   “Why are you doing this?” Nishikino asked.

   “… I’m not sure,” Nico said; it was the first time she’d ever revealed any hints of insecurity, and her own honestly caught her off guard. “I want to.”

   “I…” Nishikino said, “I didn’t think you could…”

   “Feel?” Nico asked.

   Nishikino nodded. “Feel.”

   “I feel pleasure in my success,” Nico said flatly. “That’s all.” She paused, watching Nishikino’s eyes flicker back and forth between her face and the floor. “Maybe this is some long-repressed primordial instinct. The need to feel something outside myself; another person.”

   “They never said anything to me about… anything like that,” Nishikino said.

   Nico smiled, but it was hardly warm; it creased the sides of her eyes, making her look, if anything, more malicious. “Maybe there’s a lot more they didn’t tell you. I think we’ll work well together, Maki. Now, if you’d oblige me, there _is_ something else I want to feel…”

\--

Present day

   Nishikino sat alone in her darkened office. Her body was still hot and uncomfortable, but she had no energy with which to move it.

   _They cannot come any closer._

She inhaled deeply. For a moment, the room around her disappeared; it wasn’t a reality, only a dream in her head, so violent and so desperate, that she’d brought it to life. It was finite, and her grasp on it was slipping.

   Suddenly, she crashed back into reality, sitting up with such vigor that she knocked over a stack of papers. Her hands grasped at the phone, and she dialed the number with shaking fingers.

   “Hello?” she said into the receiver. Her voice exuded false confidence. “This is Nishikino Maki, FBI Assistant Director. I need to place an order.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, so.... Uh, shoutout to all the people who were expecting NozoEli smut, sorry guys (please don't hurt me). As I said, it's going to be in here, but in homage to the original X-Files, well... You'll see.   
> Anyway, thanks again for sticking with me, I'm glad that I could get this update out faster than the last. The next chapter is going to be quite plot-heavy, so it may take a little bit of time, but it will come. I'm super excited about it and Chapter 13 (which is going to be AWESOME), so I hope you'll stick around for them!  
> In the meantime, I hope everyone's having a great summer, and I'll see you soon!


	12. The Weakest Link

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things never fall into place quite how you want them too--and Eli knows that. But isn't it nice just to pretend?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!!! Welcome back! Chapter twelve has arrived on sort of schedule. Anyway, if you DON'T normally read my end notes, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do, they're really important this time!!! Thanks!

 

_Field Journal #0853_

_Special Agent Eli Ayase_

_I am not afraid; I was born to do this._

_\--Joan of Arc_

_I am not as fearless as women heroes past; but maybe, I can still honor them._

 

 

  The crinkle of wax paper jolted Nozomi out of her trance. She looked over, and saw her company unwrapping her usual rice ball.

   “… You’re awfully quiet tonight,” Inari said, taking a bite out of her snack.

   “You’re awfully hungry,” Nozomi remarked back.

   “I need to eat,” she replied, taking another bite. “And you need to talk. I’ve said a thousand times you _cannot_ contact me, so I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that this meeting is under dire circumstances.”

   Nozomi looked both ways around the bar they were in. It was empty, sans the bartender, who was plugged into the Sunday night football game. “I need to know more about Nizo Yazawa,” she said quietly. “What’s her weakness?”

   “Why do you assume Nico has a weakness?”

   “She’s got to,” Nozomi said. “Everyone has a weakness.”

   Inari didn’t answer. She finished eating her rice ball slowly, then neatly folded the paper and placed it in an empty glass on the table. “Why do you ask?”

   “I think Yazawa is the only one who can cure Eli,” she said. “She has to know something, but I’ve got no leverage.”

   “Oh, right,” Inari said. “Your girlfriend.”

   “She’s not my girlfriend,” Nozomi said flatly. Inari raised an eyebrow; Nozomi could hear her disbelief. “Look, that doesn’t matter. You want to help me, right? That’s why we’re having these secrets meetings? So, help me.”

   Inari watched her steadily. “… I know very little of Nico’s weaknesses,” she said. “As you can imagine, she keeps them largely to herself. She seems to be… unstable. I’ve often seen her take medications and injections, so I assume that there is a biological component to her powers that is toxic to her in some way.”

   “Do you know what it could be?”

   “I have no idea,” Inari said. “Like I said, Nico’s weaknesses are well-kept secrets.” She stood up, and pulled a notebook out of her bag. “This is the best I can do for you,” she continued, scribbling something down. “I can’t promise anything, but maybe it’ll give you a place to start.”

   She handed Nozomi the sheet of paper; the words _St. Michael’s Presbyterian Hospital_ were written across the top in cutesy letters. _Is that really her handwriting?_ Nozomi wondered.

   “This is the hospital where Nico was born,” Inari said, apparently oblivious to Nozomi’s surprise. “There might be records.”

   “Yazawa was born in the United States?” Nozomi asked. “Why? How?”

   Inari gave her a half-smile. “Blood spans great distances.”

\--

   Eli sat at Toujou’s desk, nestled deep in the office chair. With one hand, she stirred her coffee using a stick of Pocky—a habit she’d picked up from Toujou—and with the other, checked the messages on her phone.

 

   _From: Mom_

_Hi Elichika—come have dinner with me sometime. Miss you!_

The message was followed by about a dozen different “love” emojis; Eli smiled to herself. Her mother had only recently learned to use the emoji function of her smartphone, and was now bombarding Eli with hundreds of emojis, including Apple’s signature eggplant, which made Eli giggle.

   The office door opened, and Toujou walked in holding an extra-large coffee (surely packed with sugar, Eli thought) and a box of donuts.

   “Elicchi,” she said pleasantly, placing the donuts on a table and lowering her sunglasses to peer at Eli over the rims. “I brought breakfast—why are you at my desk?”

   “… I want a desk,” Eli said. And it was true.

   Toujou looked puzzled. “Why do we need a second desk?”

   Eli raised an eyebrow at her. “… I’ll talk to Nishikino about it,” Toujou said hurriedly. “Here.” She extended a chocolate-covered donut. “They’re your favorite. Chocolate!”

   Eli accepted the donut, still giving Toujou a distinctive look. “Anyway,” she said through a mouthful of chocolate and bread. “I have case details from Nishikino whenever you’re ready. She wants us to get started as soon as possible.”

   Toujou looked crestfallen. “She… has a case for us?”

   “That is her job,” Eli said, opening the vanilla folder. “Why? What did you have in mind?”

   “… Nothing,” Toujou said. “What’s this case of Nishikino’s?”

   “Some bigshot millionaire murdered in his own home,” Eli said. “Lots of valuables stolen.”

   “Wife? Kids? Siblings?”

   “Not married,” Eli said through another bite of donut. “No kids, one brother, and he checks out. No insurance money is going to be collected upon.”

   “So what’s the point of stealing the valuable out of someone’s home AND murdering them? Why not just make it a robbery, why add the murder charge?”

   “Maybe they got caught,” Eli said. “Maybe it was personal. I don’t know.”

   “So where are we off to?” Nozomi asked.

   “New York, New York,” Eli said, swinging around in her chair. “We’re going to need some more coffee.”

\--

   Nozomi handed Eli the large Dunkin’ Donuts cup, along with a small brown bag.

   “Black coffee, chocolate muffin,” she said, as Eli accepted the coffee. “Are you okay? That’s your third cup today, not including the little one on the plane.”

   “I’m fine,” Eli said, taking a sip of her coffee. “Tired, that’s all.”

   “I’m just worried. Are you sure you should be having that much caffeine, you know, what with the—“

   Eli looked at her, and Toujou fell silent. It was an unspoken rule now that they didn’t discuss Eli’s illness; it upset them both, and Eli was doing her best to pretend the added weakness from the chemotherapy wasn’t effecting her work.

   “I’m _fine,”_ she insisted. “Honestly, Nozomi, you worry too much. Let’s get on this case.”

   Nozomi shrugged, and followed her out of the terminal. “Anything more about the victim?”

   “Nishikino sent me an email while we were on the plane,” she said. “Phillip Wyle. Apparently, he was an IT contractor of some sort, worked for a company called ‘NanTech.’ Looks like he developed security systems, and made a lot of money doing it.”

   “Ooo, cybersecurity,” Nozomi said. “How cutting-edge. You’d think a security engineer would have a safer home. Who do they think killed him?”

   “Must have been somebody who knew him,” Eli said. “Because you’re right, the home was tighter than Fort Knox. Whoever it was, he let them in.”

   “So, someone he trusted…” Nozomi murmured, looking at something on her phone. “Any other information?”

   “The items taken from the home total to a value of about 10.4 million,” Eli explained, “but there are some missing that hold no value at all, while other, more expensive things were left behind. It seems like the killer didn’t plan out his robbery very well.”

   “Or the robbery was just a cover-up.”

   “Very possible,” she agreed. “The NYPD are waiting for us there. Supposedly, the crime scene hasn’t been touched.”

   “I’ll believe that when I see it,” Nozomi said. Just then, their sunshine-yellow taxi pulled up to the airport curb, and the two agents headed off into the urban jungle.

\--

   Much to Nozomi’s surprise, the crime scene had been left mostly unaltered; her experience with local police had been far from ideal, and seeing some properly-done forensics work was a breath of fresh air. The chief of police, an older man named Bill-something, led them back to a posh living room in the rear of the massive house. The walls, floors, and carpeting were all white, except for a large spot in the middle of the carpet, which was dyed a rusty brown.

   “He was shot twice by a 9-millimeter handgun,” the chief, whose name Nozomi was desperately trying to remember, explained. “No trace of the weapon, or of any outstanding evidence. Any input you two have is appreciated.”

   “We’ll get right to work,” Eli assured him, while Nozomi took a closer look at the bloodstain. Eli walked beside her, and knelt down as well; “Anything?”

   “Give me a minute…” Nozomi whispered, gently touching her fingers to the carpet. Her eyes closed, and behind her shimmery-pink lids, Eli watched her eyes moving rapidly back and forth.

   “There was a man here,” Nozomi said finally, still keeping her eyes screwed shut. “They were discussing something. It turned violent for no reason. Or, at least, I don’t see one.”

   “What’s the man look like?” Eli asked. “Can you see his face, anything?”

   Nozomi shook her head. “No, it’s like… I’m watching this happen from a bird’s eye point of view. I don’t understand why.” Suddenly, her eyes opened. “It’s almost like it’s someone else’s memory.”

   “Someone else’s memory?” Eli asked. “How is that possible?”

   “It’s not, that’s why I don’t understand,” she said. “If this is the victim’s blood, then any energy ingrained here should be his, everything should be from his point of view.”

   Eli frowned. “Hold on.”

   She stood up, and walked over to the chief of police, who was watching them work with an expression of obvious confusion. “The blood on the carpet,” she said, and his face lifted considerably; “is that the victim’s?”

   Any sense of hope the police chief might have felt disappeared in an instant. “I mean,” he said. “That’s where we found the body, so we assumed it was his. I can have it tested for you, though.”

   “Please do,” Eli said. She returned to Nozomi, who was checking out the couch; “Anything else?”

   “Nothing,” Nozomi said, visibly frustrated. “Tried reading the chief’s mind to see if he was hiding something from us. He just thinks we’re weird.”

   “I don’t think I blame him,” Eli joked. “Come on, let’s see if we can find anything else.”

   While Toujou took a look at the table, which bore several scuff marks, Eli began to walk over to the police officer, when a sharp pain shot through her abdomen. She stopped and placed a hand on her side; everything suddenly became misty. Keeping her eyes focused on the floor, Eli took several long, deep breaths to regain her strength, then continued to the chief.

   “The victim was a cybertechnology engineer,” she said as she approached. “Where’s his computer? Has it been checked?”

   “We have it back at the forensics lab, but no one’s been able to get into it,” he said. “It’s locked up tight, obviously, and I’m sure he has anti-hacker protocols that encrypt or delete any data in case of a break-in.”

   “We’ll take a look at it,” Eli said. “Nozomi is a genius hacker. She may be able to do something.”

   “Well, if you go to the lab and show them your badges and let them know that I sent you, I’m sure they’ll let you in,” he said. “The blood test results should be back within the hour.”

   “Excellent,” Eli said. “Thank you, chief. We’ll let you know the moment we find something.”

   She returned to Nozomi. “No luck, I take it?”

   “Not a thing,” she muttered. “Everything’s spotless. Suspiciously so.”

   “Maybe a clean-up crew came in?”

   Nozomi frowned. “Who would have murdered this guy that has that kind of resources?”

   “That’s what we’re here to find out,” Eli said. “Let’s go—Phillip Wylie’s computer is down at the tech lab. Maybe it’ll show us something.”

\--

   Eli and Nozomi approached the security desk of the NYPD forensics department with their badges already out. They held them up in unison to the guard, who looked like he was fairly new at his job.

   “Oh,” he said, “Chief Patton sent you?”

   _Patton!_ Nozomi thought. _That’s what it was._

“Uh…” Eli said. Nozomi nodded at her. “Yes. Chief Bill Patton. We’re on the Wylie case.”

   “Alright,” the guard said, pushing a button on his control panel. “The evidence for the Wylie case is in evidence room 4A.”  
   “Thank you,” Eli said, and she and Nozomi proceeded through the gate, where Nozomi let out a sigh of relief.

   “Thank god he didn’t ask who sent us,” she muttered.

   “Yeah,” Eli agreed. “Here, this is 4A.”

   They entered a frosted-glass door, where a small amount of cardboard boxes sat on one of the tables. Inside, there were shards of broken glass, a cellphone, and two 9mm bullet casings. In the third, was a sleek silver laptop.

   “Custom-made,” Nozomi said, lifting it out of its box. “Nice.”

   “Wouldn’t expect anything else from an IT millionaire,” Eli said. “How do you plan on hacking this?”

   Nozomi turned to her with an expression of slight disbelief. “Really, Eli? How am I going to hack in to this man’s prized possession, which he surely used at least once daily?”

   “Okay, okay,” Eli said, holding up her hands. “Go on, Sylvia Browne.”

   Nozomi went back to the computer, and allowed her fingers to hover over the keyboard. After a moment, she opened her eyes, and set her hands down.

   “One, zero, two, eight, one, nine, five, five,” she said aloud. “That’s the passcode.”

   Eli frowned. “What do you think that means?”

   “It’s a date,” Nozomi said. “October twenty-eigth, nineteen fifty-five. Bill Gate’s birthday.”

   “What a nerd…” Eli muttered. Nozomi nodded in agreement.

   “Let’s see what kind of files Mr. Wylie was hiding…” Nozomi said, keeping her eyes on the screen.

   As it turned out, the answer was “not much.” There were endless and endless pages of code, programs, and general technology jargon that went entirely above Eli’s heads, as well as normal things, like photos of everyday life, financial records, and music files. The most interesting thing that they happened upon was a folder of pornographic images that made Eli blush and Nozomi laugh out loud.

   “So, I guess there’s nothing on here that’s going to be of any help to us now,” she said, closing out the file browser. “What next?”

   “Emails, definitely,” Eli said. “You said there was a man in the room, right? Maybe it’ll give us an idea as to who it was.”

   “Right,” Nozomi said, opening the internet. “Let’s see… email, email…”

   She pulled up Gmail, which logged in automatically to an account that turned out to be nothing but spam.

   “Everyone has one of those,” she said with a shrug.

   “I think it’s more likely that he used an email through his business,” Eli said.

   “Right…” Nozomi agreed.

   After a few more minutes of searching, they located Wylie’s personal email address, which, as Eli has suggested, was under a NanoTech page. The first email was from whom Eli supposed was one of his clients:

 

   _Mr. Wylie—_

_Pleased to be working with you on this new nano project. I’ve been developing the drivers for quite some time, and would love for you to test them out. Let me know when you’ve got a spare day, and we can meet to discuss the programming._

_Best,_

_T.J. Smith_

“Doesn’t look like anything to kill someone over,” Nozomi commented.

   “Not yet,” Eli said. “Let’s keep looking.”

   They continued through the messages, which were mostly bug reports and company bulletins; just as they were beginning to give up hope, Eli spotted something out of the corner of her eye, and put a hand on Nozomi’s shoulder, signaling her to stop.

   “Look at that email address,” she said. “JSmith@prom.corp. ‘Prom corp.’”

   “Prometheus,” Nozomi breathed, opening the email. “Good eye, Eli.”

  

   _Mr. Wylie,_

_After the fantastic results of our last contract in April, we at Prometheus would be delighted for you to come back and work with us a second time. It would be along the same lines of work—more security and data encryption. If you’re interested, please feel free to contact me any time at 216-403-5930._

_Looking forward to hearing from you._

   Nozomi looked at Eli, who already had her cellphone out. She held it up to her ear for a moment, but then slammed it down in frustration.

   “Number’s gone,” she said. “Can’t say I was expecting anything more.”

   “But it’s a start,” Nozomi said confidently. “Wylie was doing work with Prometheus. That’s got to have something to do with why he was murdered.”

   “Maybe he saw something he shouldn’t have while he was encrypting data for them?” Eli said. “Found out a little too much?”

   Nozomi leaned back in her chair, continuing to study the message as though a clue would reveal itself to her at any second. “It’s possible…” she said. “But it feels pretty sloppy on their part to let such a thing happen.”

   “Everyone makes mistakes.”

   “Prometheus isn’t a person, though,” Nozomi said. “It’s a labarynth.” She straightened up in her chair, and rested her elbows on the table. “But maybe you have a point. Something might have happened. And this is the best lead we’ve gotten so far.”

   “You’re right,” Eli agreed. “Here, let’s see if we can get them to let us take this with us. In the meantime, we need to find a place to stay and then we can take a closer look at this.”

   “Good idea,” Nozomi said, standing up and folding the laptop under her arm. “Come on, let’s go see what I can talk them into. Oh, and Eli?”

   “Yes?”

   “No more coffee.”

\--

   The alarm on Eli’s phone, a twinkling chime that let her know seven o’clock had come, stirred her out of a trance. She had been sitting at the table, watching Nozomi pick through the rest of Phillip Wylie’s laptop, which she had not so much persuaded, as forced, out of their hands.

   “What’s the alarm for?” Nozomi asked, not taking her eyes off the screen.

   “Medication,” Eli said lightly. She produced a white prescription bottle out of her bag, and unscrewed the top. As she leaned back to take the pills, she caught Nozomi watching her out of the corner of her eye, and the other agent quickly looked away, realizing she had been spotted.

   “… Something the matter?” Eli asked.

  “No, not at all,” Nozomi said quickly. “Just, uh…” she looked determinedly down at the keyboard. “If you ever need to rest during an investigation, please let me know.”

   Eli frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “And how do you know that I wasn’t feeling well during the investigation today?”

   Nozomi continued to stare down at the keyboard.

   _“Nozomi,”_ Eli scolded.

   “I don’t mean to, Eli!” Nozomi said defensively. “Normally, I try to respect your privacy, but I saw you flinch earlier and I… got scared.”

   Eli’s face softened. “It just takes a second to tune back in to people’s thoughts, and I’m pretty sure it was more of a reflex than genuine malintent,” Nozomi continued. “I’m sorry, Eli, I really am. I worry about you too much.”

   Eli nodded, suddenly mollified. Several long seconds passed in silence, before Nozomi spoke again:

   “You know, something I noticed…” she said quietly, “you’ve started calling me ‘Nozomi’ lately. Instead of ‘Agent Toujou.’”

   “O-Oh,” Eli stammered, embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even really notice—“

   “No!” Nozomi insisted, holding up her hands. “I like that better. You… should call me that more often.”

   “Alright,” Eli said, smiling to herself. “Nozomi it is, then.”

   More silence. Nozomi stretched very conspicuously in her chair, and said:

   “Okay, I’m really stumped here. All that’s here is this email, no files or other records in his computer. He has a log of all the business he does, with names, numbers, and payment amounts, but Prometheus is nowhere on here, and I’ve tried every alias I can think of.”

   “Maybe the killer erased the files after Wylie was murdered,” Eli said, coming around the chair.

   “That’s possible…” Nozomi said. She continued to stare at the computer, then leaned back in her chair and folded her hands under her chin. “Or maybe, it was the third person.”

   Eli frowned. “Third person?”

   “I’ve been thinking about that memory all day,” Nozomi said. “About how it wasn’t from the victim OR the killer’s point of view. It’s impossible; no memory I’ve ever encountered has come from a bird’s-eye view. The only logical explanation is that there was a third person somewhere, watching the whole scene go down. And if you’re right, and there was a cleanup crew of some kind, it could easily have been one of them.”

   “That makes sense,” Eli said. “But why would their memory be connected to the bloodstain of someone else?”

   “I don’t know,” she confessed. “It’s possible that they were the one who planned it that way. Maybe the bloodstain was faked, and they were responsible for creating it. The point is, we need to get back to that house and search for a way someone could have watched that scene take place from above.”

   “I’m all for it, but let’s wait until tomorrow morning,” Eli said. “Somehow, I don’t think two FBI agents sneaking onto a crime scene is going to look very good.”

   “Fair enough,” Toujou said. “I’m going to order a pizza, you want half with spinach?”

   Eli smiled at her partner. “You know me too well.”

\--

   The next morning found them back at the house of the late Phillip Wylie, and much to Nozomi’s relief, they appeared to be the only ones present. They entered the house with a spare key Eli had acquired from forensics the day before, and began looking for any signs of forced entry, or otherwise suspicious happenings.

   “There’s really nothing out of place,” Nozomi said at last. “We must have been right about the trust theory. Or, whoever did this had a fantastic cleanup crew behind them.”

   “Let’s check the living room,” Eli said. “Maybe you’ll find something.”

   They walked back to the living room, careful to avoid the still-present bloodstain as they did. Sunlight brushed across Eli’s face, and she looked up; the blue sky was visible through the roof of the house.

   “… Glass ceilings,” she said. Nozomi looked up.

   “Hmm,” she said. She walked over to where the bloodstain lay on the ground, then traced a path from it to the ceiling. “Are you afraid of heights, Eli?”

   “Not at all,” Eli said.

   Nozomi walked outside, and Eli followed her. The backyard was neat and elegant; a trellis climbed the brick outer wall, all the way up to the roof. Nozomi pointed at it, and Eli nodded. Carefully, they climbed the sturdy wood to the top of the house, and looked around.

   “There’s a nice little platform here,” Nozomi said, tapping her foot against the ground. “It would be just big enough for someone to crouch down or sit, and be out of sight from the inside.”

   “Even better,” Eli said, pointing to a pair of handprints on the glass. “Whoever was up here must not have been worried about being very stealthy.”

   “Excellent,” Nozomi breathed, placing her hands over the prints. Eli watched her in silence; “Whoever was up here was definitely involved,” she said finally. “They’re… the person who cleaned up the files on the computer. They’re receiving order through a headpiece.”

   “Can you get a better look at the killer?”

   “No,” Nozomi said, shaking her head in frustration. “No, it’s still all from above. Something about the emails…” She opened her eyes. “That’s it. The only thing was the emails.”

   “What about them?”

   “I don’t know, something about sending emails,” Nozomi said. “That’s all I could hear. Either way, we need to get back to the computer and check his emails again.”

   Eli nodded. “Let’s go.”

\--

   Nozomi opened up the laptop back in their hotel room, she went to Phillip Wylie’s former email, with Eli right behind her.

   “What are we looking for?” Nozomi asked.

   “Try using the ‘Prom. Corp’ abbreviation like they did in the first email,” Eli said, pointing at the search bar.

   Nozomi typed it in, and three emails appeared. The first, which they had discovered previously, and two more, one labelled “Thank You,” and the other “Work proposal.”

   “Click that one,” Eli said, gesturing to the “proposal” email. Nozomi did, and the message popped up:

   _Mr. Wylie,_

_My name is Jared Smith, and I’m a representative at Prometheus Corporation; we represent a number of scientific research companies and humanitarian corporations around the globe, and are currently searching for a cybersecurity expert to encrypt some of our systems. The system would need to be entirely unique and catered to the needs of Prometheus; of course, for such a complicated job, your compensation would reach six figures quite easily. Please let me know if you are interested by contacting me at the following number so that we can set up a meeting: 216-403-5930_

_We are awaiting your response._

   “Okay, so he did cybersecurity for them,” Nozomi said. “We already knew that.”

   “Try the next one.”

   The second email had come from a different address, but it seemed to be the same person speaking:

 

   _Mr. Wylie,_

_The results of your work were fantastic. The system works wonders, and we can now safely continue our operations without fear of losing data. You should be receiving your second payment transfer sometime today. I’d like to thank you in person, but I’m currently in Syracuse for the weekend. Please use the same number as before to contact me so that we may set up a meeting._

_Again, many thanks._

“There’s nothing here we can use,” Nozomi said, frustrated.

   “Well, hold on,” Eli said. She pointed to the fifth line of the email; “He specifically says Syracuse. Why?”

   “That’s his excuse; why not?”

   “It just seems like kind of a random detail to include,” Eli said. “Clearly, he didn’t expect Wylie to drive up and meet him, and Prometheus doesn’t seem like the sort of company who employs people that casually toss their location around. Why mention it? What’s in Syracuse?”

   “Nothing that I can think of, but I can look it up,” Nozomi said, pulling up the internet browser. “Here. There’s Syracuse University… Eerie Canal Museum… Clinton Square… St. Michael’s Presbyterian Ho—“

   Her voice faltered, and Eli looked confused. “What?” she said. “What is it?”

   Nozomi sat bolt upright in her chair, scaring Eli and nearly knocking over a cold cup of coffee that had been etching a ring into the table since that morning. “I meant to tell you this earlier,” she said. “But I met up with that informant I told you about the other night.”

   “You mean that person who told you about the crashed ship?” Eli asked, frowning. “How do you know you can trust them?”

   “She hasn’t let me down yet,” Nozomi said. “But listen, she told me that there was a hospital where there were records stored on a woman named Nico Yazawa.”

   Eli frowned. “Who’s that?”

   “You know her as the Twin-Tail Woman,” Nozomi said. “The one who was with Nishikino? Who I think is connected to Prometheus?”

   Eli’s frown grew deeper. “What did you find out about her?”

   “Uh…”

   Nozomi looked away; she hadn’t told her partner about any of her recent discoveries, and it was beginning to bite her. “I… found some paperwork on her the other day. She’s exactly what I thought she was—some sort of supernatural anomaly, like me. She can read minds, but she can also prevent people from reading them as well, as well as being telekinetic. Anyway, I couldn’t find anything about her medical history, until my contact told me about a place called ‘St. Michael’s Presbyterian Hospital,’ where she was born. She said there might be information on Yazawa there, and if a Prometheus employee was there, then it just gives the theory more ground to stand on.”

   Eli folded her arms; the look on her face told Nozomi that Eli knew she wasn’t telling her the whole story. “And how exactly did all this happen?”

   “Does it really matter?” Nozomi said. “I—“

   “Yes, it matters!” Eli said, angry. “You find out all of this critically important information on what could _easily_ be the biggest conspiracy of the 21st century, if not all _time,_ and you HID it from me?!”

   “I didn’t want to stress you out!” Nozomi said. “You had enough on your mind, and I didn’t want to make it worse! And this—this—“

   “It _what?”_

Nozomi took a deep breath in. “I think that Nizo Yazawa holds the key to curing your cancer.”

   Silence permeated the room. Then, Eli stood up unexpectedly, and slammed both her hands on the table in front of Nozomi.

   “Nozomi Toujou,” she said firmly, her eyebrows furrowed into an expression of furious determination. “I am your partner. I will risk life and limb for you if need be, and I am happy to do it. We are supposed to be _equals_. Partners in justice. In sickness and in health—“

   “Eli, I’m pretty sure that’s marriage—“

   “It doesn’t matter!” she snapped. “Listen.” Eli folded her arms across her chest. “Don’t you _ever_ hide things from me because you don’t think I can handle them. It’s my job to handle them.” Slowly, her face softened. “You don’t have to do this alone.”

   “… I know,” Nozomi said. “I’m sorry, Eli. I am. I was being selfish.”

   She frowned. “How so?”

   “Because when you’re stressed out, I feel it, too.”

   There was more silence, but it was a soft, peaceful one, as opposed to the tension of moments before. Eli gently placed her hand on top of Nozomi’s, not taking her eyes off the table.

   “I can take care of myself,” she said quietly. “I’ve spent nearly thirty years of my life proving that to myself. Whatever this is, whatever’s happening—I can conquer it.”

   “I don’t doubt you,” Nozomi said, moving her hand from the table to the side of Eli’s face. “I never have. But there’s nothing wrong with having a little backup.”

   Eli half-smiled. “I guess not.” She fell silent for a moment. “’Partners in justice,’” she laughed. “That was one of the corniest things to ever come out of my mouth.”

   Nozomi laughed as well. “I thought it was cute. So, what do you say justice partner, let’s go fight some crime in Syracuse?”

   Eli’s smile widened. “Sounds like a good way to spend a Wednesday.”

\--

   A large blue sign, emblazoned with an “H” directed their way to St. Michael’s Presbyterian Hospital. After the first ten minutes of their journey, Eli had managed to convince Nozomi not to drive like a maniac, but now, on the stretch of empty highway between New York City and Syracuse, there was simply no stopping her.

   “Seriously Nozomi,” Eli scolded. “If Nishikino hears about us getting a _reckless driving_ ticket, it’s going to be hell.”

   “Please, these highway cops don’t want anything to do with us,” she said. “If we get pulled over, all we have to do is flash our badges and tell them we’re on an important case.”

   “’Sorry officer,’” Eli said. “’We wouldn’t normally speed, but we’re trying to track down the origins of a telekinetic maniac created by the United States Government for yet unknown purposes.’”

   “Well, you don’t have to worry about coming up with an excuse, because we’re not going to _get pulled over,”_ Nozomi said. “I’m a great driver.”

   Eli decided it was best not to comment on that.

   They arrived at the tall, white buildings of St. Michael’s, and Nozomi parked their little rental car between two enormous trucks, blocking it from view. Eli was curious about her paranoia, but chose not to ask; however, as they were walking, she said:

   “How do you plan to go about this?”

   “Same way I go about most things,” Nozomi said. “Go in, show my badge, ask to take a look at their records. Once people see the FBI, they’re usually fairly compliant.”

   “You don’t think that’s an abuse of power?”

   “What would be an abuse of power, is if I showed my badge to one of the doctors, and told her that a venti chocolate chip Frappuccino was absolutely _indispensable_ to solving this case,” she said sagely. “Besides, you don’t need a warrant to search medical records.”

   “That’s true,” Eli conceded. “But what makes you think the records are even still here? I know I’m not much of an evil mastermind, but wouldn’t it make sense to keep the documents somewhere safer?”

   “Hiding things in plain sight,” Nozomi said.

   They walked into the lobby of the hospital, where a woman was sitting at the desk, looking at the screen of a large monitor. Nozomi approached her and held up her FBI badge, and Eli followed suit.

   “My name is Special Agent Nozomi Toujou, this is Special Agent Eli Ayase,” she said, gesturing to Eli. “We need to take a look at some of your patient files, as we believe there’s a crucial link to a local homicide case.”

   “Of course,” the woman said; she seemed oddly well-versed in the situation. “What were your names again? You’ll need ID badges.”

   “Nozomi Toujou and Eli Ayase,” she said. The woman stared blankly at her. “Uh, N-O-Z-O-M-I…”

   Once they had been properly identified, Eli and Nozomi clipped the badges to the front of their clothes, and proceeded into the hospital on the directions of the secretary.

   “B38,” Nozomi murmured, pressing the “Basement” button in the elevator.

   “Do you know what we’re looking for?” Eli asked. “Will the records really be under ‘Yazawa?’ Wouldn’t that be a little bit obvious?”

   “Maybe,” Nozomi said. “But nothing else comes to mind. Let’s look, and then we’ll decide what to do next.”

   They reached the records room, which Nozomi was able to unlock with a swipe of her badge. Inside, the walls were lined with filing cabinets; Eli and Nozomi went right to the back, where the “YA-“ section started.

   “Yaws… Yax…” Nozomi murmured as she fingered through various files. “Yaya… Yazawa, Tsukishima… She’s not here.”

   “Dammit,” Eli whispered. “Is there another name she might have used? An alias of some sort?”

   “Nothing that I can think of,” Nozomi said, leaning against one of the cabinets. “Let me see…”

   She cupped her chin in her hand, and Eli dug back into her memory; nothing stuck out to her, until…

   Suddenly, she was back on the mysterious ship she and Nozomi had encountered back in the desert. They were crowded underneath a cupboard, and a man’s voice was speaking:

   _“I was already told there had been some meddling going on in the FBI from Izanami.”_

“Izanami!” Eli said aloud. Nozomi looked up at her, confused. “On the ship, the man, the captain… he said something about ‘Izanami.’”

   “The goddess of death and creation…” Nozomi said. “Brilliant, Eli. How did you remember that?”

   “I thought it was odd that American soldiers would give someone a Japanese code name,” she said, “so it stuck out to me.”

   “You’re a genius, Eli,” Nozomi said excitedly, pulling a file out of another drawer. “Here it is. ‘Izanami.’”

   “Seems a little conspicuous to be leaving around in a hospital.”

   Nozomi waved it a little, smiling. “It’s all in Japanese.”

   “Oh, _excellent,”_ Eli said, rushing beside her. There were several pieces of paper inside, the first of which, was identical to the one Nozomi had found inside Yazawa’s office in headquarters; she handed that to Eli, and took a look at the second piece:

 

   _12/11/2002: Although #9520 (Yazawa, Nico) has proven largely immune to the effects of “chronocelluar,” several recent outings to California have proved disastrous. A large mine owned by Chevron, which had since been closed, provided a large open areas for us to truly see the expanse of what Yazawa could do. Initially, everything was going according to expectations; however, within ten minutes of being inside the area, Yazawa began to get sick. Our initial assumption was that some form of chronocancer had evolved to bypass her immune system, however, as we left the area, her symptoms began to spontaneously clear up; the only possible explanation was something in the area had triggered her illness. After a thorough scan of the area, we obtained precisely what was contained in the mine, and began exposing samples of the metals to Yazawa individually; when Bastnaesite ([REE]CO 3F) was brought into the room, she immediately began to pale, and within minutes, broke into fever. The sample was removed, for the safety of Yazawa, but bloodwork and other tests were done in order to determine the cause of the reaction, which, as of yet, is still unknown._

“Bastnaesite,” Nozomi said out loud. Eli looked up. “What do you know about Bastaesite?”

   “Other than that it’s very rare, next to nothing,” Eli said. “I think that’d be more of a question for a chemist.”

   “I’ll call Rin,” Nozomi said, pulling out her cellphone; she hit “Umi” on the speeddial screen, and held the phone up to her ear.

   “Hello?” a high-pitched voice said from the other line.

   “Rin!” Nozomi said. “I—wait a minute, why are you answering Umi’s phone?”

   “I’m playing Candy Crush,” she said. “Hers runs it faster than my phone.”

   “Does Umi know that?”

   “No.”

   “Well, I guess we can keep it that was for a little while,” Nozomi said. “Anyway, what do you know about the mineral Bastnaesite?”

   There was rustling from the other end of the line, as Rin rearranged herself. “It’s really rare, and found mostly in Sweden and Pakistan, but there’s a large mine in California that produces it, we went there when I was at Berkley,” she said. “Why do you ask?”

   “It’s an _unbelievably_ long story,” Nozomi said. “I’ll tell you guys later. Do you know where I could get a largely quantity of it?”

   “You’d have to go to California and mine it yourself,” Rin said. “Or, you can buy it online, but any decent amount is gonna run you a couple hundred dollars, if not a thousand or more.”

   “It’s a price I’m willing to pay,” she said. “Thanks, Rin. Give Umi her phone back.”

   “I’ll get to it.”

   She hung up, and Nozomi turned to Eli. “What was all that about?” Eli asked. “Why Bastnaesite?”

   “According to this, even distant exposure to it weakens Nico to the point of illness,” Nozomi said, handing her the paper. “If I can get enough, then maybe we can pose a threat to her.”

   “You think it’ll work?”

   “I don’t have any other suggestions,” Nozomi said. “We’re running low on time, and this is the best lead we’ve got.”

   “Alright,” Eli said. “Then let’s get going before someone starts asking more questions.”

\--

Nozomi sat in the hotel room, chin tucked on top of her hands; Eli joined her, bringing two mugs of coffee with her.

   “I don’t know what you expect to find,” she said, referencing the paper from the hospital, which Nozomi had been inspecting for the past fifteen minutes. “Are the characters going to spontaneously morph into something else?”

   “I don’t know,” she said, accepting one of the coffee mugs. “I feel like there’s something that I’m missing.”

   Suddenly, a water drop sound came from her phone, and Nozomi snatched it off the table so quickly, she nearly spilled the coffee. “And I’m guessing this means that I’m right.”

   A single email was waiting for her:

   _You’re being set up. 45 th/Congress. Behind bar. 10 PM. _

“… It’s a hoax,” Nozomi spat. “Of course it’s a fucking hoax.”

   “How do you know?”

   She showed Eli the message on her phone. “My informant. She hasn’t led us wrong yet.”

   Eli took the phone from her, and inspected the message herself. “… Well, you have to admit,” she said, “this all was coming together a little _too_ neatly.”

   “You’re right…” Nozomi said, lowering her head into her hands. “I guess I was just hoping that _somehow,_ some way, things actually _did_ make sense for once.”

   “You know it never turns out like that,” Eli said. “Where’s that location? Let’s—“

   Eli’s words were cut off by a heaving cough, which caused her to double over and clap her hand over her mouth; Nozomi jumped out of her chair, and ran over to her side.

   “Can you breathe?” she asked; Eli nodded. “Here, sit down…”

   “I’m alright,” Eli wheezed. “Just give me a few minutes.”

   “You’re not going tonight,” Nozomi said firmly; Eli looked betrayed. “You’re not in a condition to be under any stress.”

   “You really—think you can stop me?” she said, still coughing.

   “Eli—“

   Her partner stood up, extending one hand in Nozomi’s direction, and using the other to cover her mouth. “We talked about this. I know my limits. I’m going.”

   Nozomi lowered her arms to her side, knowing that there was no arguing with her partner now. “Fine,” she said. “But if anything goes wrong—we’re out of there.”

   “Fine.”

\--

   The hours between then and ten o’clock dragged by at a snail’s pace; by the time darkness finally fell, Nozomi could feel herself tensing at every cough or sneeze that Eli made, every creak of the hotel floorboards, every passing car. Something had her particularly on edge, but she couldn’t figure out what.

   As it turned out, the bar—a dumpy little hole called “The Rat’s Paw”—didn’t really have a “behind,” but instead, an alleyway off to the side, just big enough for a medium-sized vehicle to fit through. When Eli and Nozomi arrived at the entrance, it was completely abandoned. The bar was closed, and nothing else on the street appeared to be open, either. A couple of dim streetlamps gave them enough light to see by.

   “This is the place,” Nozomi said quietly, looking around. “She should be here any minute. Her name is Inari.”

   Eli frowned. “The rice goddess?”

   “Yeah,” Nozomi said. “She’s really into rice for some reason.”

   Eli gave her a rather strange look, but didn’t comment, either. Several more minutes passed in silence, before the sound of footsteps came from the other side of the alleyway, and a figure appeared.

   “Agent Toujou,” Inari said, nodding to her. She turned to Eli; “Is this your partner?”

   “Yes,” Nozomi said. “I know it’s a bit unorthodox, but this is important.”

   “I can make exceptions,” she said shortly. “But listen closely. Everything was a set-up—my information, the murder, the documents in the hospital. There’s something about Yazawa you need to know.”

   “Wait,” Nozomi said, holding up her hand. “Who did it? Who set us up?”

   “There are more people in this than you can imagine,” Inari said in a hushed voice. “America has been collaborating with the Japanese government for fifty years trying to create a superior race of humans, and Yazawa is part of that experiment.”

   “But why? What for?”

   “I’ll explain in a minute, but there’s something else—!”

   Inari’s last words were lost to Nozomi. Suddenly, there was another voice in her head. One that was taking aim, a voice focused on keeping their arm level—

   “ELI!” Nozomi shrieked, diving towards the wall, and taking her partner with her. They crashed against a metal dumpster, sending a splitting pain through Nozomi’s head in shoulder as she struggled to protect Eli. Gunshots rang out in the alley, followed by the screeching of tires. A car soared out of the alley, its lights all off, and then, there was silence.

   “N…Nozomi?” Eli croaked from somewhere underneath her. “Nozomi, are you alright?!”

   “I’m fine,” she said, rubbing her head where it had hit the dumpster. “Just a bit disoriented.”

   “What the hell happened?!” Eli demanded. “What was that?”

   Nozomi stood up, her vision still blurry from the impact. However, in the dim light of the alley, she could plainly see Inari’s body outlined on the pavement, three gun wounds bleeding crimson against the white of her shirt.

   “We were set up.”

\--

   Nozomi was silent on the flight home. The morning after the shooting, they’d received a call from headquarters, that the case was “too dangerous,” and that there were sending a different team, out of concern for Eli’s health.

   “They’re going to hit a dead end,” Nozomi said in the cab from the airport; it was the first time she’d spoken all day.

   “Who?” Eli said. “The other agents?”

   “It’s an impossible case,” she continued. “They’ll just be led in circles, until it’s either closed, or whoever’s responsible finds a patsy.”

   “What would have happened if Inari hadn’t intervened?” Eli asked.

   “I feel like we’d probably either be dead, or even deeper into a wild goose chase,” Nozomi said. “The Bastnaesite was set up to distract us, to put us on a different lead, while they figured out what to do.”

   “And now that we’ve figured it out?”

   “It’s only a matter of time until they try something else.”

   Eli was silent, choosing to stare out the window in silence for a few minutes. “The person who set us up… do you think—?”

   “It was absolutely Nishikino,” Nozomi spat. “She and Yazawa are too close. You and I have both seen them together, and that secret room I found was right through Nishikino’s office. They’re using her as a tool to keep us busy.”

   “What should we do?”

   “I’ll figure it out.”

   Eli frowned at her. “Don’t do anything too rash.”

   Nozomi dared to look surprised. “I have no idea where you’d get such an idea about me.”

\--

   _This is absolutely not rash._

Nozomi stood in front of apartment number 316, her eyes sweeping the door frame and surrounding area for anything even slightly out of place. She closed her eyes, and focused on the interior; she could hear Nishikino’s thoughts. The Director was watching a late-night drama about a struggling piano player; no one else was detectable inside. She was alone.

   After taking one last look around, Nozomi knocked on the white apartment door; Nishikino’s thoughts became confused as she wondered who could be visiting at this late hour on a Saturday. She opened the door, and stared at Nozomi, apparently surprised.

   “Agent Toujou,” she said. “This is… largely unusual.”

   Nozomi smiled politely. “Let’s talk, director.”

   She walked in without invitation, bypassing Nishikino’s subtle attempts to block her entrance.

   “I’m almost certain that there’s something in the employee conduct manual that advises against visits like these—“ she began, but stopped suddenly when she saw Nozomi take out her gun.

   “It’ll be real quick, I promise,” Nozomi assured her. She took the magazine out of her pistol, and began casually counting the bullets. “The Wylie case you sent Eli and I on was quite unusual.”

   “W-What do you mean?” Nishikino said, keeping her eyes on Nozomi’s pistol. Nozomi could hear her thoughts beginning to race.

   “Well, the case linked back to several we’ve had in the past…” she continued, now replacing the magazine back into her pistol, and instead choosing to inspect the safety, which was conveniently in the “off” position. “And as soon as we made the connection, we were pulled off the case.”

   Nishikino’s mind was in a panic. “What connection was that?”

   “A certain woman,” Nozomi said, lowering the gun to her waist, “with hair in twin-tails, and bright red eyes that glow like a demon.”

   Nishikino took a step backwards; Nozomi quickly filled the gap. “Maybe you two have met.”

   A second passed, where Nishikino’s mind went completely blank with fear, then, defying every possibility Nozomi had come up with in her head, turned her back, and began to run.

   “Don’t you DARE!” Nozomi yelled, grabbing her and throwing her back towards the kitchen. “You ARE working with her!”

   “You don’t UNDERSTAND!” Nishikino screamed at her, hysterical. “YOU DON’T GET IT—!”

   “ELI COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED,” Nozomi screamed back. “You TRAITOR, you BITCH, you’re working for HER!”

   “Do you think I WANT to?!” she demanded. “Do you think I’d be doing this if I had a choice?!”

   “What’s stopping you, director?!” Nozomi said. “Is it the threat of death? Does she have your family? Your cat? Is it blackmail?”

   Nishikino was silent. “What is it?!” Nozomi demanded, slamming her fists on the table. “What does she have on you?! Is it treason?! Embezzlement?! Murder!? Did you kill someone, Director?!”

   “No, I haven’t killed anybody!” Nishikino snapped. “I…”

   She lowered her face into her hands. “While I was working on my doctorate in psychology, one of my professors offered me a job in a lab in D.C.,” she said quietly. “I took it, obviously. I had a lot of debt to pay off; I grew up poor, but I wanted _so badly_ to succeed, I went to all the best schools, all the top programs… the cost didn’t matter to me. I was always the best, and that’s why he wanted me to come work there.”

   Nozomi was silent. “I worked there for several years before I discovered what they were really doing. In this lab, they were… creating _weapons,_ these human weapons, and Nico was one of them. She didn’t live there, but she’d report to them. I wasn’t supposed to talk to her, but one day, she… came to me.”

   “Yazawa… Yazawa _came_ to you?” Nozomi asked, frowning.

   Maki nodded. “At first I felt sorry for her. What a terrible life, I thought, growing up as a human test subject. But she… has a certain way with people. She won me over. I could always tell there was something about her that wasn’t right, but…”

   “But what?”

   “She… made me an offer,” Nishikino said quietly. She turned towards the wall, avoiding Toujou’s lingering stare. “If I joined the FBI and stayed with the lab, they’d put me at the top. I would have instant success.”

   “So you just took it?!” Toujou said. “You knew what they were doing, you knew something was wrong, but you did what they asked anyway?!”

   “You don’t understand!” Nishikino spat. “The offer was… so tempting. It was everything I had _ever_ wanted, Toujou, would you be any stronger?”

   Nozomi didn’t answer for a moment. “It doesn’t matter,” she said finally. “The point is, you betrayed us. You cost someone their life, and you could have easily cost Eli and I ours.”

   “Well, you’ve all but signed my death sentence yourself!” Nishikino snapped. “Once Nico knows I’ve told you, she’ll kill me. _You’ve_ killed me, Toujou.”

   “Yazawa won’t hurt you if she still thinks you can be useful,” Nozomi said spitefully. “But, you’ll have to pull it off convincingly. I’m guessing she can read your mind?”

   Nishikino looked shocked. “How do you…?”

   “I think I know more than you realize,” Toujou said. “Listen to me, Director. Eli is dying. Help me find a cure for her, and I’ll keep you safe.”

   She frowned. “What makes you think you can do anything against Nico?”

   “I’m going to find her weakness, one way or another,” Nozomi said. “Then, I’ll destroy her myself.”

   Nishikino’s frown deepened. “You really think you can do this.”

   “I know I can,” Nozomi said. She extended her hand in Nishikino’s direction; “Will you help?”

   Nishikino stared at Nozomi’s outstretched hand for a minute, before cautiously accepting it.

   “I’ll do everything in my power.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter was a little rough y'all, I've been working a ton, so this was one very intense week-long process, and I'm too damn tired to proofread  
> Anyway, I have a Big Question, one that will permanently change the outcome of this story.  
> I'm at a pretty crucial moment here, as far as the plot goes, and as of now, I can take the story in two very different directions. The first one, which is how I originally planned it, will end up wrapping this fic up in about 5 or so chapters, maybe less. However, as I've gotten more into the story, I've really started to see a different direction I could take this in, with ultimately the same outcome, but it would give me a lot more space to develop characters, backstory, additional plot details, etc.; this would expand the story to another 10+ chapters.   
> I'm fine with doing either, but I wanted y'all's opinion, because ultimately, you are the readers, and you're who I'm writing for. Would you like to see the story take on another arc, with more characters and backstory, or is it taking too long already, and this should be the clincher? Please let me know!


	13. What Happens in Vegas...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...didn't actually end up staying in Vegas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWO AND A HALF FUCKIN MONTHS LATER IM SORRY YALL

Seven Years Previously

 

   “You know, Rin, I really gotta say,” then 21-year-old Nozomi Toujou said, laying down on the luxuriously-dressed bed, “Berkley really knows how to pick a hotel.”

   “And a location!” Rin, 20, said excitedly. “Three days in Vegas, and all I’ve got to do is run track!”

   The bathroom door opened, and Umi, also 21, emerged, looking vaguely disshelved; the car ride from Berkley had been a shaky one for her. “Remember, Rin, you’re still not old enough to drink,” she said. “And Nozomi—you and I need to be responsible, too. We’re here representing the university.”

   Rin made a noise like “Psshth” and flopped down into an armchair. “No one’s gonna mind if I have a few cocktails, just as long as I keep winning relays.”  
   “You can’t win relays with a hangover.”

   “… Maybe I just haven’t tried.”

   Nozomi laughed, and sat up in bed. It was a sunny afternoon in April, and the weekend of Berkley’s track match against University of Nevada, which conveniently happened to fall on the same weekend as an IT expo. Cheered by the concept of escaping their undergraduate work for a weekend to go to Vegas, she and Umi had chosen to accompany Rin, and attend the convention instead. Umi was a good archer, and a talented kendo fighter, but neither she nor Nozomi knew the first thing about track.

   “My first match is tomorrow at 1,” Rin said. After that, if we qualify, we’ll go to the second and third rounds, and then the finals are on Sunday.”

   “You guys will kick ass,” Nozomi said confidently.

   “Oh, I know,” Rin said. “We always do.” She pulled out her wallet; “My mom gave me some money for the trip, and you know what that means.”

   Nozomi raised an eyebrow, smiling. “What?”

   “I need to test out my poker face!”

   “YOU’RE NOT OLD ENOUGH TO GAMBLE, EITHER,” Umi shouted from across the room.

   “I bet there’s a seedy place that will let me,” Rin said with a shrug. “Besides, we’re in Vegas! Let’s have some fun!”

   “She’s got a point, Umi,” Nozomi said. “Come on, loosen up.”

   “I think I need a nap,” Umi said flatly, climbing into one of the double beds. “You two go have fun. No gambling, though.”

   Rin winked. “You can bet on that.”

\--

   The next morning, Rin and her substantial, albeit ill-earned, winnings insisted on taking the three of them to brunch. Umi had been unwilling at first, not at all keen on using what she called “dirty money,” but Nozomi consistently leaving the tantalizing menu out on all of her things had eventually changed her mind.

   Nozomi took another sip of her mimosa. “Umi, pass the croissants,” she said, holding out her hand.

   Umi raised an eyebrow. “What do we say?”

   _“Please,”_ Nozomi exasperated. Umi nodded curtly, and handed her the basket. “Thanks mom.”

   She looked like she was going to say something in response, but she was cut off by Rin, who had been eyeing her plate for the past minute and a half. “Hey, Umi, are you gonna eat that sausage?”

   “No, you can have it,” Umi said, dumping it onto her plate. “But be careful how much you’re eating, you don’t want to run on a full stomach.”

   “Don’t wanna run on an empty one, either,” Rin replied through a mouthful of food. “I need protein!”

   “Rin, close your mouth when you chew,” Umi said disapprovingly. “Honestly, you two are like a pair of nine-year-olds.”

   Nozomi flicked a piece of scrambled egg at her. “You’re right.”

   _“Nozomi Toujou—“_

“Okay, I’m gonna get out of here before it turns into full-fledged war,” Rin said, standing up with her mouth still full of sausage. “I’ll text you guys and let you know how the match goes.”

   “Bye, Rin, good luck!” Nozomi said. Rin stuffed a croissant and a few packets of jam into her pockets, and disappeared. Nozomi turned back to Umi, and chuckled. “I’m just playing with you, Umi,” she said, picking a bit of scrambled egg out of her hair.

   “You’re such a child,” Umi sighed, but Nozomi knew she wasn’t mad. “Your food goes in your mouth, not in my hair.”

   Nozomi laughed, and took another sip of her drink. “Okay, thanks for today’s etiquette lesson,” she said, smiling. “Ready to head downstairs? I think the conference has started.”

   “Sure,” Umi said. “Do you know where we’re going?”

   “Yep!” Nozomi said, holding up her phone. “Let’s go!”

\--

   The conference, which was being conveniently held in the hotel, had been covered by their research grants, and when Umi and Nozomi reached the registration counter, all they had to do was show the student IDs, and the lady at the table handed them a pair of badges.

   “Enjoy the conference!” she said cheerfully. They thanked her, and walked into the show hall.

   The inside of the hotel was home to nearly two hundred different tables, showcasing the latest in tech; every big name in technology was there, from Apple to Sony, and the room was full of the sounds of conversation, fans humming, and electronic beeps.

    “Wow,” Umi said, looking around. “This is impressive.”

    “Where do you want to go first?” Nozomi asked, inspecting the pamphlet they’d received at the entrance. “It says Samsung has a VR prototype booth over in the 160’s aisle.”

   “You just want to play video games,” Umi said slyly. “What about Apple’s presentation on mobile satellite mapping?”

   _“You_ just want to be a nerd,” Nozomi said. “If I wanted to take a nap, I’d go back to the hotel room. Why don’t we just wander the aisles and see what we find?”

   “I suppose it would be good to look at everything,” Umi said. “But I’m putting a ten-minute time limit on the video game stands.”

   Nozomi smirked. “Got it.”

   They began the odyssey through the rows and rows of stands that covered the showroom floor; many of them were handing out freebies—USBs, lanyards, small office supplies—and the two of them missed no opportunity to take advantage of the generosity.

   Nozomi finished up a discussion with a Twitter CEO about website design, and turned to Umi, who had been fiddling with the app on her iPhone.

   “Ready to move on?” she asked.

   Umi nodded, not looking up from her phone.

   “It’s pretty crazy,” Nozomi said, gesturing over shoulder as they walked. “I mean, Facebook really took off, but do you think Twitter’s going to have the same impact? I mean, only 140 characters? What are people gonna say, how—“

   She ran into Umi, who had stopped dead in the middle of the aisle. “Umi,” she said. “What are you doing?”

   She didn’t answer, only continued to stare at something across the aisle. Nozomi followed her gaze, which landed on a well-decorated booth with a couple of iPads propped on the table. Behind it, a young woman around their age was holding up a smartphone, and talking to one of the attendees. She had light brown hair, which was curled at the tips, and a very fashionable grey suit.

   “Do you know her?” Nozomi asked.

   Umi didn’t answer. In fact, she was silent for so long that Nozomi began to worry about her. “… That,” she said finally, “is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life.”

   Nozomi stared at her. “Did you eat something bad at breakfast, or are you actually being entirely serious?”

   “Why wouldn’t I be?” Umi said, not taking her eyes off the woman. “Listen, Nozomi, I know I’m not much of a romantic, but it’s only because no human being, male or female, has ever struck me in a way that made me want to become one.”

   “Holy _shit,”_ Nozomi said. “Umi, I think I just converted to theism, because I’m pretty sure I just witnessed a god-given miracle.”

   _“Hush,”_ Umi hissed. “It can happen.”

   “Yeah,” Nozomi said, seizing her arm. “And knowing you, it may never happen again. Come on, let’s go talk to her.”

   “W—What?!” Umi stammered. “No, Nozomi, I can’t! I don’t know what to say, I’ll die—“

   “You’re not gonna _die,_ Umi, don’t be so dramatic,” Nozomi said, smiling. “It’s easy. I’ll get us started.”

   Umi gave a squeak of protest, but allowed Nozomi to drag her across the aisle anyway. The man who had been at the counter walked away, and the woman caught Nozomi’s eye and smiled.

   “See,” Nozomi said out of the corner of her mouth. “Everything’s gonna be great.”

   Umi only whimpered in response. They walked up to the woman, and Nozomi said: “What are you presenting?”

   “It’s an app that I designed called ‘inStyle,’” she said, holding out a smartphone to Nozomi. “You can take pictures of your clothes, and it will automatically crop out the background and store them in a database, so you can create outfits easily. If you register the item with the brand, you can even keep track of how much it’s selling for on popular sites!”

   “That’s really impressive,” Nozomi said, scrolling through a long list of clothes, which she assumed belonged to the woman. “Did you do all the development yourself?”

   “Oh no,” she said with a laugh. “I’m not very tech-savvy. I created the concept and designed the layout and graphics. I have some software development friends who helped with the programming. What about you two?”

   “We’re just students here for the weekend,” Nozomi said. “We go to Berkley, and our friend who runs track had a meet, so we tagged along. The three of us all met at an IT conference, actually, so we thought it would be good to go to another.”

   “Oh, I’ve never actually been to California!” she said. “But I’ve heard it’s nice. I’m Kotori Minami, I go to University of Alabama.”

   “Nozomi Toujou,” Nozomi said, shaking her hand.

   Kotori looked at Umi, who had been staring at her in complete silence. Before things had a chance to get awkward, Nozomi kicked her under the table and said:

   “This is my friend, Umi Sonoda. Sorry, she didn’t have enough coffee this morning, apparently.”

   “I-It’s nice to meet you,” Umi stuttered out, grabbing Kotori’s hand maybe a little too quickly. “S-Sorry, I, uh… tired. Very tired. Nozomi kept me up late last night.”

   Nozomi stared at her. Kotori stared at her. Umi suddenly grew very red in the face; “N-Not like—“ she stammered. “That didn’t come out right—“

   “SAY, it’s past two,” Nozomi said loudly, looking at her phone. “I wonder how Rin’s track meet is going. I’ll go call her and find out. You two go ahead and talk.”

   Umi gave her a look that plainly displayed panic, but Nozomi had long since made up her mind. She walked over to a quieter corner, and dialed Rin.

   “NOZOMI!” a very out-of-breath Rin cried from the other end. “I was just about to call you! We did it!”

   “You did it?”

   “We qualified for the finals tomorrow!” Rin exclaimed. “Top of the line! We creamed them!”

   “Good job, Rin,” Toujou said, genuinely proud. “Not to take away your spotlight, but you’re never going to _believe_ what happened here.”

   “What?”

   “Umi’s got a _crush,”_ she said, giggling like a high schooler.

   “UMI’S GOT A _CRUSH?”_ Rin said, so loudly that Nozomi had to pull the phone away from her ear. “ON _WHO?”_

   “Some pretty girl from U. Alabama at this IT expo,” she said, continuing to hold the phone away from her ear, just in case. “She’s terrible at this, Rin. I thought she was going to give herself an aneurysm when I started talking to her.”

   “Nozomi, that’s perfect!” Rin said. “Listen, the track team is having a party at the hotel next door tonight to celebrate our qualification, you have to invite her!”

   “Umi will kill me,” Nozomi said very seriously.

   “No, no, we can make this work!” she exclaimed. “Listen, I’ll come up with a plan—you just make sure that this girl comes to the party tonight!”

   _This can only lead to trouble,_ Nozomi thought. “Alright,” she said. “I’ll do my best. Go take a shower, Rin, I can smell you through the phone.”

   There was the sound of a raspberry being blown, then the other line clicked off. Nozomi chuckled to herself, and went to rescue Umi, who had grown significantly paler in the time since Nozomi had left her.

   “Oh really?” Kotori was saying. “That’s so interesting! I honestly don’t know a thing about kendo, even though my family is all Japanese. I would love it if you showed me sometime.”

   At this, Umi looked like she might pass out, and Nozomi quickly intervened. “Good news, Umi,” she said. “Rin and the other track members kicked ass, they made it into the finals.”

   “That’s fantastic,” Umi said, visibly relieved at the burden of conversation being taken off her. “Rin must be thrilled.”

   “They’re ecstatic,” Nozomi said. “Actually, they’re having a big party in the hotel tonight to celebrate the win, so we have to go. I promised Rin.”

   “Isn’t a little early to be celebrating?”

   “Tell that to a dozen and a half adrenaline-fueled college students in Vegas,” Nozomi said. She looked over at Kotori. “Hey, you should come to. You’ll like Rin, she’s really a character.”

   “That sounds fun!” Kotori said, apparently not noticing the flicker of panic that went across Umi’s face. “Let me give you my cellphone number…”

   “Oh, I’m terrible with keeping track of things,” Nozomi lied. “Give it to Umi instead, she’s way more responsible.”

   Umi looked at Nozomi with eyes full of betrayal. “Okay!” Kotori said, handing a small sheet of paper with a number scribbled on it to Umi. “Thanks so much for inviting me, guys! I love my tech friends, but sometimes I need a break too, you know?”

   “Oh trust me, I know,” Nozomi said, smiling. “We’ll see you later, Kotori.”

   They walked towards the rest of the convention, leaving Kotori to talk to the next person. After they were out of earshot, Umi looked over at Nozomi and said

   “I hate you.”

   “Oh come on,” Nozomi said, smiling. “You’ve got her name, her cellphone number, AND you’re going to a party with her tonight. You should be thanking me.”

   “Nozomi, I am in cyber security and software development for a _reason,”_ she stressed. “And that reason is that I do _not_ deal well with people in big social situations. I can’t do this, I’m going to mess it up, and it’ll be a disaster.”

   “Listen, if you keep _thinking_ you’re going to mess it up, then yeah, you will,” Nozomi said. “But if you think _positively,_ then things will go well. It’s as simple as that.”

   “But what if she’s… you know…”

   “Straight?”

   Umi sighed. “Yeah. Straight.”

   “Don’t worry,” Nozomi said. “I ‘accidentally’ clicked the home button on her phone when I was looking at that app, and I saw she had a lesbian dating app on her phone. She’s gay AND single, Umi. If you miss this because you’ve chickened out, I will personally hound you about it for the rest of time.”

   Umi muttered something incomprehensible, then shook her head. “You are unbelievable,” she said. “… I’m impressed.”

   Nozomi grinned. “I knew you would be. Now come on, let’s get some more free stuff, and I’ll teach you everything I know about talking to women.”

\--

   “To be fair, I’m pretty sure Nozomi doesn’t actually know anything about talking to women.”

   “Shut up, Rin.”

   Rin giggled, and adjusted herself in the chair of the hotel room. After Umi and Nozomi had returned, Nozomi had given her a play-by-play recap of exactly what had happened at the expo, and Rin had listened to every single detail as though Nozomi were explaining to her the meaning of life.

   “And I suppose YOU know everything there is to know about talking to women?” Nozomi asked her, one eyebrow up.

   “I never said I did,” Rin said with a shrug. “I’m not really into women. Or men.”

   “Then what ARE you into?”

   “Science!”

   “Okay, so Rin is no help,” Nozomi said, turning back to Umi. “Listen, this whole ‘talking to women’ thing isn’t hard, I do it all the time.”

   “Nozomi, I’ve never dated _anybody_ before,” Umi said. “Except for the time I kissed a girl when I went to kendo camp in middle school, and I’m pretty sure that doesn’t count.”

   “You kissed a girl at kendo camp?!” Rin exclaimed.

   “Not the time,” Nozomi said, holding up a hand. “But we are going to come back to that. Umi, look—just be yourself.”

   “That’s a TERRIBLE idea.”

   “Okay, be the kind of person you’d want to date then,” Nozomi said. “Just talk to her, listen to everything she says, make eye contact, ask her lots of question. Be charming.”

   Rin snorted from the chair, and Nozomi and Umi both glared at her. “Sorry,” she said. “But Nozomi’s right, Umi, just listen and be interested, and she’ll like you on principle.”

   “I don’t suppose you could whip up some kind of love potion with that science brain of yours?” Nozomi asked jokingly.

   “Hmmm,” Rin said, tapping her chin. “Well, pomegranate is a natural aphrodisiac, and so is salmon—“

   “No,” Umi interrupted. “No, no, no. Absolutely not. No aphrodisiacs.”

   “Well, that’s all I’ve got.”

   “It doesn’t surprise me that either of you are single,” Umi said with a sigh. “I’m going to use the restroom. If you two have any ideas that don’t involve aphrodisiacs or me being myself, tell me later.”

   She disappeared into the bathroom, and Nozomi looked to Rin. “Okay,” she said. “So I’m assuming you have a plan.”

   “Sort of,” Rin said. “It’s a little shaky, but hear me out..."

\--

Later that night

   It was true, Nozomi decided, that the rich kids of Berkley really _did_ know how to throw a party. She wasn't sure if the plastic pitchers full of different-colored alcohols that were being passed around were from the bar or if they'd just bribed them into letting them bring their own; either way, the hotel bar was exploding with people, both from Berkley and the IT conference, talking, laughing, and consuming copious amounts of the mysterious pitcher-liquid.

   "She's not coming," Umi said. Her face was pale as death. "It's been ten minutes. She's definitely not coming. This was a terrible idea."

   "It's only been ten minutes, Umi," Nozomi reassured her. "Rin wanted to come early to help set up the karaoke contest."

   "Karaoke?" Umi said skeptically. "Rin?"

   Nozomi shrugged. "Look, Umi, over there—isn't that her?"

   Umi snapped her head up so quickly that a bit of blue-black hair smacked Nozomi in the face. Kotori had indeed just walked in, wearing a stunning fuchsia cocktail dress, with her light-brown hair curled around her shoulders.

   _"Oh my god,"_ Umi whispered, in a voice that was usually only reserved for new computers and exceptionally good grades.

   "Go talk to her, Romeo," Nozomi urged, giving her a little shove. Umi squeaked out something incomprehensible. "You're in the middle of a woman's track party and she's gorgeous. If you don't go talk to her now, some other campus lesbian will."

   This was apparently enough to motivate Umi, who stood up rapidly, and made a beeline to where Kotori was speaking to a bartender. Nozomi couldn't hear what was going on, but she saw Umi slam her credit card down on the counter, and Kotori looking rather startled; she smiled to herself.

   "Rin?" She said into her phone. "The eagle has landed."

   "That's a really bad codename," Rin said rather non-chalantly. "Umi should be something more representative of her personality and things she likes. Like, a hawk, or a jaguar, or a pu--"

   "We have more important things to worry about, don't you think?" she said. "Listen, is everything in place?"

   "Yessir, we're all set and ready to go," Rin said. "I have a place in the karaoke lineup saved for Kotori; now all you need to do is convince her to join."

   "Roger that, captain," Nozomi said. "Awaiting your signal."

   She closed the phone, and moved over to where Umi and Kotori were talking by the bar.

   "And it's really the small things that end up being frustrating in coding," Umi was saying. "Like, missing pieces that take forever to notice, and--"

   "HEY Umi, I was wondering where you'd gotten to!" she said loudly, throwing an arm around her. "Kotori! I'm glad you came. How did the rest of the expo go?"

   "It was great!" Kotori said enthusiastically. "A lot of people were interested in the app, and I was even able to get a couple of clients for graphic design, which I wasn't expecting, so that was just the cherry on top."

   "That's fantastic," Nozomi said. "Say, Kotori, Rin was just telling me they need one more for the karaoke competition. Would you be able to fill in?"

   "A karaoke competition?" Kotori asked, eyes wide. "I'd love to! I used to be in musicals when I was in high school!"

   Great!" Nozomi said. "See the guy over there in blue? Go talk to him, he'll set you up."

   She disappeared into the crowd, and Umi turned to look at Nozomi through squinted eyes. "… What are you two up to?"

   "I have no idea what you're talking about."

   "Karaoke?" She said. "Getting Kotori to sign up? I'm not _stupid,_ Nozomi. You're up to something."

   "Yeah, I'm up to making sure she has a good time," Nozomi said flatly. "You're the one sitting here talking about all this nerd shit."

   "May I remind you, Ms. Psychology student, that you _too_ are a nerd," she said. "And Kotori was really interested in that stuff!"

   “Totally,” Nozomi agreed passively. “C’mon, Umi, relax. I’ll buy you a drink.”

   Umi didn’t seem convinced in the slightest, but allowed Nozomi to hand her a tequila shot anyway. She knocked it back without flinching, and Nozomi looked impressed.

   “… You two make me drink,” she said after a minute. Nozomi laughed.

   Up on the stage, a guy in a Berkley t-shirt announced that the karaoke competition was starting; the first contestant was a very drunk girl, who sang a warbling, tearful version of “Love Story,” and eventually had to be excorted offstage by her margianally less-drunk friend. The rest of the contest then cycled through the standard array of giddy athletes, jocks in muscle t-shirts and “Obey” snapbacks, and more drunk women, until finally the man from onstage said:

   “And next up, we have Ms. Kotori Minami!”

   The crowd clapped as Kotori walked onstage; the bright lights made her shimmery dress glow even brighter, and Nozomi could see it reflected in Umi’s eyes like a hot pink sun.

   She took out her phone and wrote a message to Rin:

 

   _It’s go time._

   Kotori gently pulled the mic from its stand, and held it up to her mouth. The crowd grew quite as a piano riff came from the speakers.

   _“Where have all the good men gone, and where are all the gods?”_ Kotori’s sweet voice sang. _“Where’s the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds? Isn’t there a white knight, upon a fiery steed? Late at night, I toss and I turn, and I dream of what I need…”_

Nozomi felt herself break into a grin as Umi’s eyes widened, apparently captured by Kotori’s stage presence. _This couldn’t have gone better,_ she thought.

   Suddenly, the music grew fast, and Kotori stomped her heel against the wooden floor, causing the crowd to explode.

   _“I need a HERO!”_ she sang, her hair whipping out from behind her with the fervor of her movement. _“I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night! He’s gotta be strong, and he’s gotta be fast and he’s gotta be fresh from the fight!”_

   Halfway through the second verse. This was it. The lights flashed unexpectedly, causing everyone to start; Kotori skipped a beat, but didn’t stop singing.

   _“I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night!”_ she continued. _“He’s gotta be sure, and he’s gotta be soon, and he’s gotta be larger than life! Larger than li—“_

_BAM!_

_  
_ Kotori was interrupted by a massive sandbag falling from the ceiling of the stage, missing her by only a few feet. _Jeez Rin, you’re really cutting it close,_ Nozomi thought, concerned.

   On stage, Kotori shrieked, and stumbled out of the way. Umi had jumped to her feet, not taking her eyes off the stage; another sandbag fell, closer this time, and Kotori jumped in the other direction.

   _Go save her, Umi—_ Nozomi began, when suddenly, she was interrupted by the sound of glass breaking. One of the lights at the front of the stage had exploded. In front of it, there were the beginning of a flame.

   _That wasn’t supposed to happen._

The crowd had now dissolved into panic. A couple of runners from the team attempted to jump onstage, but the small flame suddenly interrupted into a full-scale fire, and they were forced back. Kotori attempted to run, but another terrible crash came from onstage, and a massive steel structure holding lights blocked her way to backstage.

   “Rin!” Nozomi cried, running towards the side entrance. She burst through the door, where Rin was standing at a control panel, frantically pressing buttons.

   “What the hell is going on?!” she demanded over the music, which was still blaring from the speakers.

   “I don’t know!” Rin said. “Something went wrong with the circuits, I was just supposed to drop a few sandbags—“

   “That’s more than a few!” Nozomi said. “We have to do—“

   She was cut off by the sound of pounding footsteps. A blur of black-blue hair passed Nozomi by, and ran onto the stage.

   “UMI!” Rin and Nozomi shouted in unison. They followed her to the edge of the backstage area, where they were stopped by a massive iron pole, which Umi seemed to have cleared effortlessly.

   On stage, they could see Umi dodging through fallen sandbags and wrecked support beams, to where Kotori was standing, trapped by flame and metal. In one swift movement, she swept Kotori up bridal-style, then looked down and said something that neither of them could hear. Finally, she looked up at the wall of flame that blocked them from the front of the stage; tightening her grip on Kotori shoulders and legs, she steeled herself, and ran towards the fire.

   Screams rose from the crowd, almost drowning out the music, which swelled perfectly with Umi’s dash. Through the fire, Nozomi watched her land, surprisingly steadily, on the other side. A couple of students rushed past her, carrying fire extinguishers; within seconds, the fire and the music had both died.

   Nozomi and Rin both ran onto the stage, out of breath. It was a disaster; the floor was burned and most of the scaffolding had come down. Sand and broken glass covered everything. The whole room was silent, watching the four of them, until Umi, who had been out of breath, finally looked up and said:

   “You two are SHITHEADS.”

   The tension on Nozomi’s shoulders broke, and she began to laugh, partially out of relief, partially out of sheer terror. Beside her, Rin was having the same reaction.

   “D-Did you teach her that?” Nozomi gasped, in reference to the word “shithead.”

   Rin shook her head, unable to catch her breath. Nozomi turned back to Umi, who was blurry from tears of laughter.

   “Please,” she choked out. “Umi, just do it.”

   A brief moment of silence passed. The entire crowd was staring at them. Umi gently set Kotori down, then turned to her, and took a deep breath.

   “Will you have dinner with me?”

   More silence passed; this one seemed to last a thousand years. Finally, Kotori smiled, and took Umi’s hand.

   “I think that’s a pretty obvious yes,” she said, then leaned in to kiss Umi on the cheek.

   The crowd went wild.

   “They’re gay,” Nozomi whispered to Rin over the roar of the crowd.

   “So are you,” Rin whispered back. Nozomi shrugged.

   They came down from the stage, where Umi and Kotori were emerging from the crowd of students.

   “I am absolutely going to kill both of you,” Umi said, half-amused, half-furious. “Do you have any idea how much trouble we’re going to be in?”

   “That can wait, Umi,” Nozomi said, waving her hand dismissively. “How about you go buy the poor lady a drink?”

   Umi looked like she wanted to argue, but a small smile from Kotori seemed to convince her otherwise, and they slipped back into the crowd. Meanwhile, Rin turned to Nozomi.

   “Do you think we fucked up?” she asked thoughtfully.

   “Oh, undoubtedly,” Nozomi said. “It’ll be a miracle if we aren’t kicked out of school for this. We’re certainly not going to ever be allowed in this hotel again. But did you see Umi’s face?”

   Rin grinned. “Worth it.”

   “Yeah,” Nozomi said. She picked up two unopened beers from the table next to them, and handed one to Rin. “Worth it.”

\--

Present day

 

   “So,” Eli said, reclining back in her office chair. “That’s how Umi ended up in Vegas.”

   “She went back for the wedding, and never again,” Nozomi stated matter-of-factly. “Now she doesn’t touch the place with a ten-foot pole.”

   “Did you get in trouble with Berkley?”

   “The hotel wasn’t able to _prove_ that anything was our fault, but the track team was definitely not allowed back there,” she said. “We also weren’t allowed to stay with them for any more events.”

   “Probably for the better,” Eli agreed, laughing. “Poor Umi; you two put her through so much. What an amazing love story to have, though. Not many people get that lucky.”

   Nozomi leaned her head in her hand, and fixed Eli with a gentle stare. “You don’t think so?”

   “I could never have a story like that. So many chances, so many turns of fate…”

   A smile interrupted Nozomi’s features. “I guess you’ll just have to write your own.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> College is hard.  
> Anyway, self-indulgent KotoUmi chapter. We're about to get back to the plot, I swear. AND the NozoEli. You guys have been super patient while I've been building this up, and you deserve a big reward, which I will DEFINITELY be giving to you very soon. So if you're wondering where the NozoEli is, it's literally right around the corner. Have no fear.
> 
> Also, if you're wondering, the version of "I need a hero" that Kotori sings is ABSOLUTELY the one from Shrek 2.


	14. The Ghost of Christmas Salt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The holidays are a time of joy and togetherness--for most people, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme of this chapter is "Carol of the Bells" but it keeps getting faster.
> 
> Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Io Saturnalia! Time for a little holiday fun. But for real guys, please read my notes at the end of the chapter!

 

           The last gumdrop was plucked from the bag; Eli placed the yellow candy on the chest of a gingerbread man with a dollop of icing.

           “He’s dashingly handsome,” Nozomi said, placing her hands on either side of Eli’s arms. “A tiny, tasty gentleman.”

           “Thanks,” Eli said, turning around to smile at the other agent. “But I thought you weren’t into gingerbread _men?”_

“I can look at the menu, I’m just not hungry.”

           Normally, outside work conduct like this—especially alone in Eli’s apartment—might have been labeled “inappropriate,” but since these were for the FBI’s department Christmas party, Eli figured that they could write it off.

           “That’s fair,” she said. “But, I hope you want dessert, because if you don’t eat at least _one_ of these tonight, I’m going to be very offended.”

           “Nishikino will have to drag me away from the plate,” Nozomi assured her. “Here, you go get changed—I’ll put these away and pack up the eggnog.”

           “I can do it,” Eli insisted. “Really, Nozomi—”

           “You need to shower—”

           “But I can—”

           “Eli don’t make me force you.”

           “How could you force me?”

           Nozomi slammed her hands down on the counter, which was covered in flour, and seized either arm of Eli’s black shirt.

           “Toujou!” Eli shrieked, unable to stop herself from smiling. She smeared her fingers, which were sticky with icing, across Nozomi’s face.

           “Okay, _ew—”_ Nozomi said, laughing. “Hold still—”

           She sprinkled sugar in Eli’s ponytail, and Eli responded by throwing a bit of leftover batter at her chest. Finally, Nozomi grabbed her arms, still laughing.

           “Okay, okay,” she said, panting. “We’re—we’re gonna break something. You win! I’ll go change. And wash all this icing off my face.”

           Eli giggled. “Alright. I’ll put it away and then see if I can rinse out all the sugar you just poured in my hair.”

           Nozomi winked at her. “It’s because you’re sweet.”

           Eli didn’t answer, but blushed quietly as Nozomi left the kitchen.

\--

           “Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!”

           There was a chorus of cheering and clinking glasses as Assistant Director Nishikino raised her flute glass of champagne to the ceiling in a holiday toast.

           “Merry Christmas!” the crowd echoed.

           “Merry Christmas, Nozomi,” Eli said, turning to her partner among the cacophony of cheer.

           “Merry Christmas, Eli,” Nozomi said, clinking their glasses together. She raised hers, and drank it all in one long sip. “Needed that after Nishikino asked about my vacation paperwork. Doesn’t she know it’s the holidays?”

           “I don’t think she’s ever taken a vacation in her life,” Eli said. “Here, stop worrying about it. Have a pastry.”

           She handed her an apple tart from one of the silver platters. “Thanks,” Nozomi said. “You know, as long as I’ve worked here, I’ve never been to one of these. I’m not really the party type.”

           “Really?” Eli asked through a mouthful of shrimp. “From what you’ve told me about you and Rin in Vegas, I wouldn’t have guessed.”

           “That’s different,” Nozomi said quickly. “’Office party’ and ‘weekend Vegas trip’ are polar opposites.”

           “I think you’re making excuses.”

           _“Anyways,”_ she continued, “I think I need to start coming more. I never eat this well.”

           “You can’t, or you choose not to?”

           “A bit of both.”

           Eli was about to respond, but was cut off suddenly from a yelp that came across the room. They looked up, and saw that Nishikino had spilled a glass of champagne down the front of her black blazer.

           “Someone’s had a little more champagne than they planned for,” Nozomi whispered to Eli, who giggled.

           “I—I don’t know what happened,” Nishikino stammered as someone handed her a napkin. “It just flew out of my hand, I swear.”

           “Of course, director,” one of the other agents said, smirking. “It happens.”

           “I _swear—”_

           The director was cut off by the lights, which hummed and flashed, leaving the party in darkness. People looked at the ceiling, as though trying to locate the source of the surge. Eli looked up to see Nozomi staring at her expectantly.

           “… I know what you’re thinking,” she said. “And no.”

           “But Eli—”

           “It’s the office Christmas party,” Eli said firmly. “What, is Krampus here or something?”

           “No, of course not, we’re all adults,” Nozomi said dismissively. “Krampus only goes after children. Besides, this activity lends itself much more to a ghost.”

           “A ghost? In the FBI’s holiday party?”

           “That’s the implication, yeah.”

           “So, what do we do? Perform an exorcism at the party?”

           “Well, not AT the party,” Toujou said. “Somewhere else. Come on, I keep a spare kit in my office.”

           “What kit?”

           “An exorcism kit.”

           _“Nozomi—”_

She was already on her way out. Eli sighed, and followed her down the hallway and into the elevator.

           “So what kind of ghost haunts a Christmas party anyway?” Eli asked as they descended into the basement.

           “Maybe someone who died on Christmas,” Nozomi theorized. “Maybe they didn’t have any family or friends to spend the holidays with, and they’re bitter. Maybe it’s Ebenezer Scrooge.”

           “Scrooge changed his ways at the end of the book, it’s not him,” Eli said. “Maybe Tiny Tim went sour in his last days.”

           Nozomi laughed, and the doors of the elevator dinged open. “It’s in my desk drawer,” Nozomi said, leading Eli out towards their office. “I _knew_ there was going to be a day I needed it.”

           “You said this was a spare,” Eli said. “How many do you have?”

           “Three.”

           “Three?!”

           “One for my house, one for here, one for the car,” Nozomi said, counting them off on her fingers. “Hold on.”

           She opened the top drawer to her desk, and pulled out a small box, made of dark, polished wood. “Could you grab the black weekend bag?” she asked Eli as she opened up the lock.

           “Sure,” Eli said. She picked it up, and found it was surprisingly heavy. “What’s in here?”

           “Ghost hunting gear,” Nozomi said. “EMF detectors, EVP equipment, night vision goggles, the works.”

           “And why is it in your office?”

           “From the Rosenburg case,” Nozomi answered simply.

           “You mean when we didn’t end up needing it because it was actually a kleptomaniac raccoon?”

           “Listen, there’s nothing wrong with being prepared,” Nozomi said. “But let’s not live in the past, either. Come on, we’ve got a ghost to catch.”

\--

           The pair of agents crept quietly along the hallway of the headquarters; Nozomi’s outstretched hand was holding a small black box, which beeped on occasion, while Eli clutched a silver cross.

           “Tell me again what we’re looking for,” Eli whispered.

           “Not sure yet,” Nozomi whispered back. “If the EMF detector starts going off, though, we’ll be close. Keep an eye out for anything that seems out of place.”

           “And what exactly are EMFs again?”

           “Electromagnetic fields,” Nozomi explained. “There’s a popular theory that if a ghost is nearby, they’ll distort the electromagnetic field of the area. This box picks up any possible changes and beeps when it detects spikes in activity.”

           “Right, right,” Eli said. “That’s surprisingly reasonable, actually.”

           “I love to keep you guessing.”

           They rounded a corner, and just as Nozomi had predicted, the beeps of the EMF detector began to come in quicker intervals. They both looked around wildly, but nothing was in sight.

           “What is it?” Eli asked.

           “I don’t know,” Nozomi said, “but we’re getting close. Come on, it’s like a game of hot and cold.”

           They continued moving through the hallway; the signal slowly began to get stronger and stronger, and once they reached the center of the hall, it was beeping rapidly. However, there was still nothing of interest, and they continued to walk. The closer they came to the next corner, the more the beeping faded.

           “There’s something in the middle,” Nozomi said.

           “But there was nothing there,” Eli insisted. “I didn’t even feel a chill.”

           “We must have missed something. Come on, let’s go back.”

           They returned to the center of the hallway, and the erratic beeping returned as well. Still, nothing appeared.

           “That’s weird,” Nozomi said, visibly let down. “Or, at least, disappointing. I was hoping for a shadow, at the least.”

           “Hang on,” Eli said, pointing to their left. “What about that?”

           In the middle of the hall was a small wooden door with a plaque that read _CUSTODIAN._

“… The janitor’s closet?” Nozomi asked. “It’s worth a shot.”

           They crept over to the door, which was mysteriously unlocked. Inside the 10x10 space were shelves stacked with cleaning chemicals, a mop bucket, brooms, and other various sanitary items.

           “That’s convenient,” Nozomi said. “I wonder who—”

           Suddenly, the EMF detector began beeping so wildly that Nozomi nearly dropped it. She held it up to the ceiling, and scanned the walls of the tiny room.

           “You’re a genius Eli,” she said.

           “I know that.”

           Nozomi made a move as though she were going to inspect the shelves, but there was a “BANG” from behind them, and the door of the closet slammed shut.

           _“Genius,”_ Eli muttered under her breath.

           A terrible crashing came from all around her as the aerosols and chemicals that occupied the shelves came flying in their direction. Eli shrieked and covered her head, and saw Nozomi do the same.

           “If some of those chemicals break and mix with each other, this closet is going to turn into a bomb!” Eli shouted. “We’ve got to get out!”

           “We have to figure out what it wants!” Nozomi shouted back.

           “It wants us DEAD!”

           As she said that, a pair of scissors went whizzing by her head, and impaled themselves in the drywall.

           “… Alright, let’s go,” Nozomi agreed.

           They burst out of the closet door, and the noise inside instantly quieted.

           “What the hell was that?” Nozomi panted. “An angry janitor?”

           “I guess so,” Eli said, pushing her hair out of her face. “But if that’s what he’s doing to us, what about the people at the party?”

           “We should go check on them,” Nozomi said. “Come on.”

\--

           Back at the party, everything appeared quiet; Nishikino was chatting with a couple of agents who were visiting from Fairfax. The outline of the champagne was still visible on her blouse.

           “The department is trying to redirect funds into our college recruitment program,” she was saying. “There are so many young people who—”

           “Director,” Nozomi interrupted. Nishikino looked up, surprised. When she saw Nozomi, her face quickly faded into exhaustion.

           “Yes, Agent Toujou?” she said.

           “Can we speak with you for a moment?” Toujou looked at the visiting agents. “… In private?”

           Nishikino frowned. “I’m a little busy—”

           “Director, please,” Eli said. This time, Nishikino looked surprised. “It’ll only be a few minutes.”

           She looked at Eli a few minutes longer, then turned back to the agents. “Apologies, Agent Carter. I’ll be back in just a moment.”

           Agent Carter nodded, and began chatting with the other agent. Meanwhile, Nishikino hurried out of the room with the Eli and Nozomi.

           “I’m going to assume you have an exceptionally pressing reason for this,” she said, looking at Eli.

           Eli opened her mouth, but Nozomi beat her to the punch.

           “There’s an angry spirit haunting this party,” she said. “Possibly a janitor, but for some reason, it wants us out. Or dead. Whichever.”

           Nishikino turned from Nozomi back to Eli, visibly desperate for her to provide a more sensible explanation. Eli exhaled.

           “Trust me, Director, this hurts me just as much as it hurts you,” she assured her. “But No—er, Agent Toujou, is telling the truth. I wouldn’t believe it either, if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.”

           There was a moment of silence. “You want me to believe that a _ghost_ has taken up refuge in the FBI headquarters and is currently on a one-man mission to sabotage our company Christmas party?”

           “Well, director,” Nozomi said slyly, “it’s either that or you’d had a little _too_ much champagne earlier.”

           Nishikino grew red in the face. “Fine,” she said. “Suppose there’s a ghost. What do you want me to do about it?”

           “Do you know of any recent deaths?” Nozomi asked. “Not agents, but of the staff?”

           “Possibly,” she said, folding her arms. “A custodian was killed in a car accident back in September. I don’t know anything more than that.”

           “That’s perfect,” Nozomi said. “Do you know his name?”

           “John, maybe? Something very common. I’m almost sure it was John.”

           “Director, you’re the best,” Nozomi said happily. “Go have some more of that champagne. I know you’re thinking about it.”

           Nishikino looked wildly taken aback, and Eli barely suppressed a giggle. She hurried back to the party, and Eli turned to her partner.

           “I have to hand it to you, Sherlock, you really know how to put a twist on things,” she said. Nozomi laughed.

           “I find that sometimes, with Nishikino, shock value works best,” she said. “Alright, we’ve got our man and we’ve got—maybe—a name. Let’s go get our Ghost of Christmas Past.”

           “Wow, Nozomi,” Eli said. “You know, between this and Scrooge, I have to say, I'm surprised. I never thought you were much one for Dickens.”

           “Who? I’m talking about the Muppet Christmas movie.”

           “Never mind.”

           Nozomi laughed. “Just messing with you. Come on, we’ve got a ghost to catch.”

\--

           They backtracked to the closet where they’d had their mysterious encounter less than half an hour previously. The door was still closed, and the hall was silent.

           “Do you have a plan?” Eli whispered.

           “Nah,” Nozomi said. “Do you?”

           “My PhD is in medicine, not metaphysical malarkey.”

           “That’s fair,” Nozomi agreed. “Alright, then. You first.”

           “Oh, age before beauty,” Eli said, gesturing at the door.

           “I’d be going first either way.”

           Eli glared at her, and Nozomi giggled as she made her way to the door. She opened it, and they both stepped inside.

           The closet had mysteriously returned to order since their misadventure; the hole in the door where the scissors had flown past Eli’s head was still present, however. They ventured a little deeper inside. The room remained silent.

           “Maybe he’s busy,” Eli remarked.

           “No, he’s coming,” Nozomi muttered. “He’s coming. Just wait a second…”

           Nothing happened. Eli’s hand subconsciously slid to her gun, and she cursed herself for being foolish.

           _What are you going to do?_ She thought. _Shoot the ghost?_

“Eli,” Nozomi said, her voice bringing Eli back to earth.

She opened her mouth to ask what it was, but suddenly, Nozomi’s intent was clear. A pale mist had begun to appear on the floor, creeping up from a vent in the corner. It continued to creep up the walls, and onto the ceiling. The shelves of the closet began to shake, making a terrible racket.

“John?” Eli said. “John, is that you?”

The mist began to swirl in front of them, taking up shape like a growing tornado.

 _“HAVE YOURSELVES A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS, AGENTS.”_ A terrible voice boomed around them, making them both jump. _“IT MAY BE YOUR LAST!”_

A bottle of bleach tumbled from the top shelf, missing Eli by a matter of inches.

“Somebody’s not very merry this Christmas,” Nozomi muttered.

“Maybe he’s Jewish?” Eli suggested.

“You’re right!” Nozomi exclaimed. “Happy Hanukkah? Quanza?” The mist continued to grow. “Uh… Saturnalia?”

Another bottle of chemicals flew from the shelf. “So that’s a no, then,” Nozomi said, ducking underneath her arms. “What do you want?” she demanded of the mist. “Why attack a Christmas party?”

To Eli’s surprise, the mist responded, congealing into the vague shape of an old, hunched-over man.

 _“Because FUCK your Christmas spirit!”_ the mist screamed. Eli was rather taken aback; even Nozomi was visibly shocked. _“I was resting in this closet in perfect god damn PEACE until you all decided to have a PARTY!”_

“You’re… mad because we woke you up?” Eli said, bewildered.

 _“I spent ten years cleaning this building!”_ it said. _“Ten years! Do you think I ever went to any parties?!”_

Eli had no idea how to respond. _“Well, I didn’t!”_ it said without waiting for an answer. _“I sure cleaned up after them though! This building wouldn’t be able to function without me, and yet, no one even bothered to save me a cup of eggnog!”_

“I get it,” Nozomi said thoughtfully. “You’re mad because no one ever invited you to any parties.”

 _I wonder why,_ Eli thought.

 _“That’s not it!”_ the ghost said. _“I—I just didn’t want to be woken up! You goddamn kids and your parties! Well, I’ll make sure no parties are hosted here ever again—and I’ll start by making sure Miss Party-Planner herself knows the Grinch has come for her Christmas!”_

There was a crack like a gunshot, and the mist disappeared. An ominous creaking came from somewhere above them; the shelf behind Nozomi was slwly tipping forward, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“Nozomi!” Eli screamed. Her partner looked up just in time to let out a shriek of surprise as Eli tackled her out of the way. The shelf crashed to the ground behind them, sending cleaning supplies in all directions.

They stood in front of the door, panting. Eli still had her arms wrapped around Nozomi. It took a moment for both of them to come to their senses;

“A-Are you alright?!” Eli stammered, quickly letting go of her.

“I’m okay, yeah,” Nozomi said, a little shaken. “That was—not what I expected.”

“Me either,” Eli said. “What do you think he meant by ‘no parties are hosted here ever again?’”

“I’m more concerned about who ‘Miss Party-Planner’ is,” Nozomi said, rubbing her chin.

“I assume he’s talking about whoever didn’t invite him to any of the parties,” Eli said. “And the person who does all the event arrangements, as of last I checked—”

They both looked up in perfect unison.

_“Director Nishikino!”_

\--

Nozomi and Eli raced back to the Christmas party, which was still happening in full-force. They battled their way through the crowd to where Nishikino was standing, fortunately, alone.

“D-Director!” Eli cried as they burst out of the bundle of guests. “Director Nishikino!”

She looked up. “Ayase?” she said. “What, what is it? You’re as pale as death.”

“You have NO idea,” Nozomi said. “Listen, you need to come with us. It’s serious.”

“What do you mean ‘serious?’”

“We’ll explain in a minute,” Eli insisted. “Just please, Director, if you ever listen to us on principle just once—”

The lights above them flickered and went out, plunging the party into total darkness. There were cries of shock from the guests, and they turned back on; however, the area where they were standing had suddenly become very cold.

“What is that?” Nishikino asked, rubbing her arms. “Is there something wrong with the heat? Ayase?”

“It’s not the heat, director,” Eli said seriously. “We need to go. Now.”

There must have been something in her tone of voice, because Nishikino’s face immediately changed. They led her out of the room, and into a quiet part of the hallway.

“Director Nishikino,” Eli whispered as the moved into a corner. “Is there a Christmas party for the staff? Like, the janitors and all?”

She looked surprised. “Not that I know of. Why?”

Eli swore under her breath, and Nozomi groaned. “Because there’s the ghost of an old janitor who was never invited to one, and now he wants to make sure that they stop for _good,”_ she hissed. “And he’s going to start with you.”

“That’s absolute madness,” Nishikino hissed back. “Why me?”

“You’re in charge of the invitations, right?”

“Yes?”

“And did you ever invite the janitor named John?”

“Well, no—”

“And that’s the problem!” Eli hissed. “He’s not happy about that!”

“What should I do about it now?!” she demanded. “Bring him back from the dead and invite him again--?”

The lights above flickered and crackled with loud pops, and the three women pressed themselves against the wall. The mist reappeared, swirling menacingly around their ankles and a harsh wind blew; Nishikino looked like she might pass out.

 _“RESTLESS LIVING,”_ the same voice from the closet cried out. _“YOU HAVE DISTURBED MY SPIRIT FROM ITS ETERNAL SLUMBER!”_

“The ‘disturbed spirit’ dialogue is really old, John!” Nozomi shouted over the wind.

 _“SILENCE!”_ the voice commanded. _“I HAVE NO TIME FOR YOUR NONSENSE. THERE IS ONLY ONE MORTAL WHOM I AM HERE FOR.”_

The mist began to creep up Nishikino’s legs, and she let out a small, terrified squeak. Eli realized this might be her first encounter with the paranormal.

 _“DAMN YOUR PARTIES!”_ it shouted. _“DAMN YOUR HOLIDAY CHEER! DAMN YOU!”_

Nishikino pressed herself harder against the wall as the mist approached her chest. Eli dove in front of her, arms outstretched.

“Eli?!” Nozomi cried. “What—?”

“This isn’t what the holidays are about!” she said. “It’s not about parties or ‘cheer!’”

“Eli,” Nozomi said weakly. “While I appreciate the thought, now isn’t time for the ‘true meaning of Christmas’ spiel—”

“Listen!” Eli said. “John!” she turned back towards the mist. “It was wrong of people not to acknowledge all the hard work you’ve done. I think we can all agree on that, right?”

Nozomi and Nishikino both nodded furiously. There was no response from the ghost, but the mist did stop rising.

“And there will be changes!” she continued. “Big changes! From now on, the staff will get their own holiday party! Because you’re right, they do deserve them! Agents do a lot of hard tasks, but I have absolutely no idea how to do _half_ the stuff a custodian does! You all deserve a celebration!”

The mist began to retreat. _“… Really?”_ the voice said.

“Absolutely!” Eli said. She stepped aside. “Right, Director?”

Maki nodded. “Absolutely,” she echoed. “I was wrong not to think of the staff. I should have invited you while you were still living, John. That was my mistake. And, if it’s any compensation… you’re welcome to come join us at the party in the other room. Assuming you behave, of course.”

The swirling of the mist began to lessen, and slowly the figure of the old man reappeared as it had early. It hovered in the air for a minute, then rushed towards Nishikino, encircling her.

All three of them gasped, and for a moment, Nishikino looked as though she would collapse. Then, the figured emerged again.

 _“You’re telling the truth,”_ it said. It seemed to stop to think. _“… This will happen, then?”_

“Most certainly,” Nishikino wheezed.

 _“…Then I suppose I am content,”_ the spirit concluded. _“And perhaps… a party would not be so bad. I do have the rest of eternity to sleep. And, of course… I won’t be any trouble.”_

“Then you’re welcome,” Eli said earnestly.

The ghost didn’t reply, only watched her for a second longer before drifting through the wall. The three agents stood in the hallways for a moment before Nishikino broke the silence:

“Well, that was excellently handled, Agent Ayase,” she said. Her voice was empty, and she was clearly shell-shocked. “Now, I believe I will have some more champagne and call a cab. Good night. I will see you on Monday.”

She walked back to the room, and closed the door with a slam.

“You know, Eli,” Nozomi said, letting out a breath, “she’s right. You handled that beautifully.”

“Thank you,” Eli said, laughing a little. “Maybe those improv lessons paid off after all.”

“I think it was all natural,” Nozomi said.

Eli smiled at her. “Well,” she said, clapping her hands together. “I think I’ve had enough partying for tonight. I believe it’s time to head home.”

“That sounds good to me,” Nozomi said. “Oh—” she looked at Eli sheepishly. “I, uh… may have left my cellphone at your apartment.”

“Nozomi…” Eli said; she was still smiling. “How do you forget something like that?”

Nozomi shrugged. “Alright,” Eli said. “Well, come on. I need to give you your Christmas present, anyway.”

Nozomi looked surprised. “You got me a Christmas present?”

“I did.”

“Well, that’s convenient…” Nozomi said. “Because I happen to have yours with me, too.”

Eli gave her a skeptical smile. “Convenient.”

\--

Back at Eli’s apartment, Eli carefully carried two mugs of hot chocolate into her living room, where Nozomi was sitting on the couch.

“I put cinnamon in it,” she said, placing it in front of her partner.

“How did you know I like that?” Nozomi asked, picking it up.

“You’re not the only one who can read minds,” she said with a wink.

“So you spy on my Starbucks order, got it.”

Eli frowned, sitting down next to her. “That’s no fair!” she said. Nozomi laughed.

“Alright, Miss venti-caramel-frappe-soy-milk-no-whip-cream. Sure.”

“I’m on a _diet—”_

“With hot chocolate?”

“Oh, it’s _Christmas,”_ Eli whined. “Here.” She threw a small box wrapped in shiny gold paper into Nozomi’s lap. “Hurry up and open it before I take it back.”

Nozomi laughed. “Here,” she said, handing her a cylindrical package shaped like a tootsie roll.

Eli picked up the package and examined it for a moment. “… You know,” she said, “it’s probably against the code of conduct for us to exchange gifts.”

“Eli, just weeks ago, we were taking a tip in a back alley from an illegal source, whom we then watch get murdered and proceeded to tell no one,” Nozomi said. “The code of conduct is in the rubbish bin. And besides…” she smiled at her. “Where in the rulebook does it say that I can’t buy something for the partner who’s saved my life at least a dozen times?”

Eli smiled back, and tightened her grip on the present. “I’d do it a dozen more, too.”

“Just you wait, Eli,” she said, picking up her mug of hot chocolate. “One day—I’ll pay you back. But until then—” she raised her mug. “Merry Christmas.”

Eli raised her mug as well. “Merry Christmas, Nozomi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as is pretty obvious, this chapter was just meant to be a fun little holiday romp. I wanted to give you guys something for the holidays, not only to show that I'm still working on this fic, but as a thank you for sticking with me for so long. You've been through a lot, and I appreciate it!  
> Furthermore, I know, this is filler. I wanted to have something cute and fluffy for Christmas. But, the next chapter is going to be VERY heavy. And very long, for that matter. I may split it into two parts, in fact. However, it is EXTREMELY crucial to the plot, and there are a lot of important things that are going to happen (I make good on some promises I've had for a while now.... ;) ). In other words, I want to get it exactly perfect, and I don't know how long that's going to take, but rest assured, it will happen. I have no intentions on letting this die.  
> So, with that, have a great holiday and new year! I love you guys!   
> If you want to shoot me a message, stop by at sailor-rinn.tumblr.com/


	15. Ground Zero: Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The water is rising.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You know what's a GREAT way to get views? Post your chapter at 11:30 on a Monday night!" - my brain, apparently
> 
> I was originally going to do this in one big thing, but it might be, uh, longer than anticipated. So here's part one.  
> As usual, please read the end notes!

Silence weighed on the office; it was a living, breathing thing that draped on Assistant Director Nishikino’s shoulders as she waited in a chair in front of polished oak desk. Hidden away in a secret hallway behind her own office was a series of rooms, including this tiny 15x15 office, which held little more than a desk and a filing cabinet. The only light came through a small window in the back wall, which was currently covered by a thin curtain. The room was bathed in an orange glow.

The door behind her opened and shut again. Nico’s small silhouette moved across the room to stand in front of the window, leaving half her face in darkness. She didn’t look at Maki, only kept her gaze fixated on a small compact in her hand.

 “I’m sure you’re well aware of Thursday’s events,” she said.

Maki nodded. “Of course.”

“And I’m to take it that you understand your role in this?”

“Distract Toujou and Ayase. Keep them away from the epicenter.”

Nico didn’t respond. After a moment snapped the compact closed and walked over to Maki; she knelt down so they were face to face.

“You’re having doubts.”

Maki stared into her lap. Her face felt hot.

“You feel sorry for Ayase. And for Toujou.”

“… Of course,” Maki said, turning away from her. “Ayase is dying, and Toujou has to watch.”

“You think they’re in love?”

“It’s not exactly subtle. And besides, how can I not feel sorry for Ayase… when I know that I’ll end up just like her?”

Nico placed her delicate hands on Maki’s thighs with surprising gentleness. “I already told you, Maki,” she said. There was a hint of childlike adoration in the way Nico looked at her, and it caught Make off guard. “It will be different for people like you and I. We’ll live _forever.”_

“Maybe I don’t want to.”

Suddenly, Nico’s hands tightened into claws, and a flash of malice appeared in her red eyes.

“Then I’ll change your mind.”

\--

Thursday, January 7th

6:39 AM

12 hours, 20 minutes remaining

 

Eli set two cups down on the desk, a sugary-looking frappucino for Nozomi, and a soy latte for herself.

“There’s nothing quite like an early start!” Eli said confidently. “Here, this will wake you up.”

Nozomi, who was resting her head in her arms, looked up at the drinks, then at Eli, then set her head back on the desk with a groan.

“Come on,” Eli encouraged, pushing the drink towards her. “It’s green tea. Your favorite.”

One hand slunk out towards the drink, and Eli promptly snatched it out of reach.

“You have to sit up.”

Nozomi groaned again and straightened in her chair. Eli handed her the frappucino.

“Thank you,” Nozomi grumbled, chewing on the end of the straw.

“You’re welcome,” Eli said cheerfully. “Honestly, it’s only an extra hour. Aren’t you excited to get some work done before the weekend? Then it won’t be on your mind.”

“I don’t think ‘excited’ is the right word.”

There was a knock on the door and the two agents looked up. Director Nishikino entered, clutching a stack of papers to her chest.

“Good morning, agents,” she said in her normal curt tone. “I have a case for you two today.”

“It must be good if you’re delivering it to us,” Nozomi remarked.

“It’s a rather high-profile murder case. Local artist and web star was murdered, and his fans are trying to solve the case themselves. I need you two to do it first and make sure no one gets hurt.”

“That’s pretty interesting,” Nozomi said. “Why give it to us?”

Eli shot her a look, but the other two ignored her. “There’s something… else,” Nishikino said. “The victim’s wife claims he was murdered by… aliens.”

This got Nozomi’s attention. “Aliens? Why?”

“She says there have been strange happenings for months now,” she said. “Things going missing, large burnt areas in their backyard, strange lights, weird sounds, the usual. The thing is, that the body…”

She pulled out a photograph from the file she was holding. “It was missing several major organs, as well as about three pints as blood and both femur bones. All the missing parts were removed with surgical accuracy, which leads us to suspect some sort of organ-harvesting operation.”

The photograph showed the naked, bloody body of a man stretched out on a patch of burnt grass. Straight, neat cuts were visible on his chest and legs.

“How did he die?” Eli asked.

“It would seem to be carbon monoxide poisoning, judging by the blood tests we took,” Nishikino said. “Although, that would seem to defeat the purpose of taking the blood.”

“Maybe it’s a coverup?”

“That’s what I need you to find out,” she said. “Good luck, agents. I’ll be in my office for most of today if you need me.”

She handed the case file to Eli and left. Nozomi watched her as she disappeared down the hallway, then looked back at Eli.

“Something’s wrong,” she said.

“Why do you say that?” Eli asked her, looking up from the file.

“Just is,” Nozomi said. “Her thoughts were distracted. Like she kept pulling herself away from something. Hard to read.”

“She’s probably under a lot of stress,” Eli said. “Maybe she had a lousy Christmas; maybe she just put off a lot of work before the holiday, and now she has to catch up.”

Nozomi didn’t look convinced. “… Oh, come on Nozomi,” she said. “Nishikino just _handed_ you an alien case. Don’t pretend you’re not at least a little excited.”

Nozomi took a suspiciously long sip out of her frappucino. “… Okay, maybe,” she said quietly.

“So let’s go!” Eli insisted. “The truth waits for no woman!”

\--

11 hours, 45 minutes remaining

 

The D.C. traffic was as to be expected for a Thursday morning, and as they waited behind a red light on New York Avenue, Nozomi took the final sip of her frappucino and set it down in an empty cupholder.

“Out of curiosity,” she said. “What’s got you in such a good mood? I haven’t seen you this excited about a case in a while, especially not one involving _aliens.”_

“It’s a couple of things, I suppose,” Eli said as they inched down the road. “I’m a morning person, so getting a strong early start feels good to me.”

“That makes one of us.”

“I can tell,” she said knowingly. “And also, I mean… it makes you happy. So it makes me happy, too.”

Nozomi smiled and sunk deeper into the passenger seat. “Thanks, Eli.”

\--

 

The victim—a Mr. Frank Pesaro—resided in a nice home in a suburb outside of D.C., which was nestled comfortably inside several acres of woods. When Eli knocked on the white wood door, there was the sound of several locks unchaining, and a rather unhinged-looking redheaded lady in her 40’s peered through the crack. She looked at Eli and Nozomi through wild eyes.

“Uh, Mrs. Pesaro?” Nozomi said, taking out her badge. “My name is Special Agent Nozomi Toujou, this is my partner Special Agent Eli Ayase. We’re here to investigate the death of your husband.”

Mrs. Pesaro squinted at them, and for a moment, Eli feared she would yell at them. “… It’s about time the government sent some people down here,” she muttered, opening the door wider. “Haven’t slept in days… lights all the goddamn time… blasted reverb…”

She disappeared back into the hallway; Eli and Nozomi made brief, confused, eye contact, and followed her.

The house was clean, but something was distinctly off. All of the windows were blocked by blackout curtains or covered by cardboard sheets. Several cameras had been duct-taped to the walls in front of the doors, and Eli noticed a laser security alarm that was currently deactivated.

“… Are you expecting visitors?” Nozomi said, apparently noticing these oddities as well.

“Visitors?” she said skeptically. “You could hardly call them that. Go, sit down.”

They took seats in the dark living room, and Mrs. Pesaro joined them with a large cup of coffee.

“So, Mrs. Pesaro, your husband was an activist…” Eli said, rummaging through files. “It seems as though he was well-known for his stance against poverty in America. He created several large—albeit, semi-illegal—murals in the capital, is that correct?”

“Frank always cared about people,” she said. She took a sip out of the coffee. “Figures he’d get offed like this.”

“Like what?”

Mrs. Pesaro looked both ways, as though checking to make sure that no one else was listening in on their conversation. She leaned in closer to Eli, and put a hand next to her mouth as she spoke.

“The _aliens,”_ she whispered. “They took him. Reckon they need the parts for one thing or another. They’ve been out there for about a week now.”

Eli and Nozomi made eye contact again. “Uh, Mrs. Pesaro,” Nozomi said, “what exactly leads you to believe that aliens are responsible for your husbands death?”

“Well, I’ve seen them, haven’t I?” she said, annoyed. Nozomi looked surprised. “Damn things keep me up have the bleedin’ night.” She pointed towards the back of the house. “They got their ship parked back there. In the woods.”

“Right,” Eli said. “And they’re… keeping you up?”

“It’s bright as day out there!” she exclaimed, nearly spilling her coffee. “And in the night, the whole house shakes… it wasn’t so bad before, but after Frank died, it’s practically unlivable. I’m too scared to go out anymore.”

“Well, that’s why we’re here,” Nozomi assured her, smiling. “We’ll go investigate it for you.”

“I appreciate that,” she said. “But make sure you don’t end up like my husband.”

Mrs. Pesaro led them to her back door, which opened up to a small stretch of backyard, and a thick wood. Nozomi turned to Eli.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“I think that she’s a woman who’s just lost her husband in a very traumatic way and is trying to come to grips with it in any way she can,” Eli shrugged, walking towards the woods. “I can’t imagine what it must be like to lose someone like that.”

“So you don’t think there are aliens involved?”

“Not in the slightest.”

Nozomi raised an eyebrow. “Then why go into the woods?”

Eli stopped. “Well…” she said. “I mean, there’s got to be something going on, right? Something is making those lights and sounds. Maybe it’s an illegal organ harvesting operation.”

“Which probably doesn’t exist.”

“Well, it is a bit more plausible than aliens,” Eli said, giving her a smile. “So, humor me a little, and let’s check it out.”

“I’m way ahead of you,” Nozomi said, pulling out a thermal camera from her bag. “Like you said, Eli, the truth waits for no woman.”

They began their venture into the woods; by Eli’s estimates, since Mrs. Pesaro was able to see the lights, but no other neighbors had complained, the source must be close to the house, which gave them a smaller search area. As Nishikino had described, the lawn was covered in various burn spots, as though it were plagued by mange; parts of trees, likewise, were burned as well. Eli ran her fingers over them; the burns were smooth and controlled, like made by a machine.

“Eli,” Nozomi said, looking at the camera. “I’m picking up a heat signature from somewhere inside the woods.”

“Are you sure it’s not just an animal?”

“Unless that animal is nearly a perfect rectangle and hovering seven feet off the ground, I’d say no,” Nozomi said, still looking at the camera.

“Lead the way.”

Following the heat signature led them deeper into the woods; Eli noticed that the burned trees appeared much less frequently, to the point where she was almost sure they had stopped altogether. Likewise, the burns on the ground had disappeared as well.

“Are you still getting that signature, Nozomi?” she asked.

“Yeah, there are a couple of them now,” Nozomi said. Her brow was beginning to furrow. “All the same shape, all in a circle.”

“What the hell?” Eli said, looking over her shoulder. “It’s got to be some sort of structure.”

“What would they building out in the middle of the woods that would require this much heat?”

Eli gave her a look that plainly said “illegal organ harvesting operation,” and Nozomi sighed.

“Okay, okay, it’s illegal _something,_ but aliens are still a possibility,” she said. “Hopefully.”

“Hopefully?!”

“Eli,” Nozomi said. She pointed ahead of them. “Look.”

She looked in the direction Nozomi was pointing; through the bare tree branches, she saw the distant gleam of metal.

They ran towards the area and arrived in a clearing. It wasn’t an alien spaceship, nor was it an illegal organ harvesting operation. In fact, Eli had no idea what it was.

“… An illegal rock concert?” Nozomi offered.

Six massive stadium lights formed a circle in the clearing. Eli put her hand up to one of the bulbs; they were incredibly powerful and still hot.

“There’s your heat signature,” Eli said. “These take a while to cool, but it can’t have been that long since they were used.”

“What about these?” Nozomi said, kneeling down. Alongside the lights were a couple of large black speakers. “This one alone probably has enough bass to recreate the San Francisco earthquake. It would explain what Mrs. Persado is hearing.”

“Well, that’s how,” Eli said. “But why? Why go through all this trouble to murder an anti-poverty activist?”

“Eli,” Nozomi said quickly, holding up her hand. “Hold on. Don’t say anything. Don’t think if you can help it, either.”

Eli quickly fell silent, but wasn’t quite sure how Nozomi wanted her to stop thinking. She watched as Nozomi’s eyes darted around the clearing, as though she were chasing an invisible laser pointer. Suddenly, she moved closer to Eli in almost total silence, until they were inches apart.

_“Someone’s here,”_ she whispered.

Eli felt her heart drop. “Who?” she whispered back, scanning the area.

“I don’t know, but they’re worried about us seeing them,” Nozomi said. “They want to know why we’ve stopped talking.”

“Can you tell where they are?”

Nozomi shook her head. “It doesn’t work like that,” she said. “I can hear people’s thoughts, but I can’t always tell where they’re coming from.”

“So, what should we do?”

Nozomi didn’t answer. She chewed her lip thoughtfully, then looked around, and leaned back in to Eli.

“No matter what I do, don’t make a sound,” she said. Eli nodded.

Nozomi drew her gun and pointed it at a nearby tree. She fired two shots in the bark, nearly causing Eli to yelp in surprise. She held up her hand; the sound of footsteps running through leaves was audible only yards from them.

“That way!” Eli cried, and they sprinted in the direction of the sound. Whoever had been there had gotten a head start; Eli caught glimpses of a figure winding in and out of the trees, but eventually, they were lost to the forest.

Panting, Eli skidded to a halt, and Nozomi joined her.

_“Shit,”_ Eli said. “We were so close.”

“I think we’re closer than we were meant to be,” Nozomi said. “I want to try something.”

She took out another a small device, like a scope. On one end, there was a minute lens.

“Is that a laser grid?” Eli asked.

“Yep,” Nozomi said. She tinkered with the device, and finally, a grid of green dots appeared, covering the forest floor. “Help me keep an eye out.”

Eli nodded, picking up what Nozomi was on to. They carefully retraced their steps towards where they had found the lights; sure enough, maybe a hundred yards out, the electric green dots picked up on a small wire, maybe six or so inches off the ground.

“We must have missed it since we were running,” Nozomi said, bending down to look at the tripwire. “Still, incredibly lucky. Someone is looking out for us.”

“I’m kind of in awe,” Eli said. “That really is incredible luck. But we still don’t know what’s going on. What’s all this for?”

Nozomi spent a few more seconds looking at the tripwire, then stood up. “It’s a distraction, I’d bet,” she said. “It was the perfect case for us, Eli. A grizzly murder with a mysterious motive, and potential extraterrestrial activity—almost like it was made for us, right?”

“Are you suggesting Nishikino set us up?”

“Maybe not intentionally, but she had some part in it,” Nozomi said. “But we can deal with her later. What were they distracting us from?”

“It might not be too late,” Eli said, turning back towards the site. “I’m going to take pictures and see if I can find any prints; you call the Vigilante!”

She ran back into the woods, leaving Nozomi alone to stare as she left.

“… Truth waits for no woman,” Nozomi whispered to herself.

She pulled out her cellphone and dialed Umi’s cell number. “Umi?” she said when the other line clicked. “Do you have a second?”

“I have several, in fact. What do you need?”

“It looks like Eli and I got set up with a fake case,” she explained. “Possibly a distraction from something, but I don’t know what. Do you all have any ideas?”

“Hmmm,” Umi hummed into the phone. “Maybe.” The sound of clicking keys was just audible through the speaker. “I don’t really have anything about a fake case, specifically, but there have been some code words being passed around. Maybe they mean something.”

“What are they?”

“’Rising Water’ and ‘Contagion.’”

“The first one definitely sounds like an operation name,” Nozomi agreed. “Let me find Eli, and we’re going to head your way.”

She replaced the phone in her pocket and headed back to where Eli was photographing the mysterious setup in the woods.

“What did the Vigilante say?” Eli asked, abandoning her photography.

“Umi didn’t know anything about a setup, but she said we should come over anyway,” Nozomi said. “Plus, I bet Kotori’s making lunch.”

“Kotori is a blessing on you three,” Eli said seriously. “I can only imagine what she puts up with on a daily basis.”

“I’m sure Umi makes it up to her,” she said with a wink.

Eli raised an eyebrow. “I dare you to say that in front of Umi.”

“Let’s _not,”_ Nozomi said nervously, waving her hand dismissively. “Anyway, let’s tell Mrs. Pesaro we’re going to examine some new evidence, and get out of here. I don’t think it’s a good idea to hang around here.”

“Lead the way.”

\--

8 hours, 4 minutes remaining

 

Inside the Vigilante headquarters, a rather drained Umi was sitting at the computer with Nozomi. Eli was standing a few feet behind them, holding one of Rin’s infinite cats.

“Umi,” Kotori said, placing a hand on her wife’s shoulder. “You didn’t sleep last night, and you’ve barely eaten today. You’re not going to be able to help them if you’re exhausted.”

“I know,” Umi said. “I’ll go to bed as soon as I figure out how to help them. I promise. And when I wake up, I’ll eat anything you want me to.”

Kotori smiled. “Good. I’ll be in there waiting for you.” She kissed her on the cheek and turned to Eli while Umi returned to helping Nozomi.

“Are you feeling alright, Eli?” she asked her. “Need anything to drink? Water, some food?”

“No, I’m alright,” Eli said gratefully. “But thank you, Kotori, really. I tell this to Nozomi all the time, but they really would fall apart without you.”

Kotori smiled at her. “I’m not great at computers or coding—or science in general, really—but I have an eye for colors and I’m good with my hands. Being the caretaker of the group isn’t given enough credit, sometimes; Umi could build a computer with a pile of scrap metal and a screwdriver, but without someone to make her eat, she’d die.”

“I can imagine that Rin’s the same way.”

“Rin would poison herself with her own cooking and her cats would eat her,” Kotori said matter-of-factly. “Brilliant in theory, not always in practice.”

“Umi’s lucky to have you.”

“And I’m lucky to have her,” she agreed. “Good luck, Eli. Whatever is going on, I know you and Nozomi will find out.”

“Thank you,” Eli said, smiling. “We’re going to our best.”

Kotori disappeared into the back hall, and Eli walked back to where Nozomi and Umi were sitting at a desk, glued to Umi’s computer.

“Anything?” she asked.

“I’m having trouble breaking the cipher,” Umi said, squinting at the screen. She pointed to a text document open in the corner of the screen. “Like I said, the only two things I can find consistently are ‘Rising Water’ and ‘Contagion.’ They’re coded differently than the rest, for some reason.”

“I agree with Nozomi, they both sound like operation names,” Eli said. “’Rising Water’ sounds familiar, though.”

Nozomi looked surprised. “Was it a case we went on?”

“I think so,” Eli said, scratching her head. “I heard it once before. It wasn’t Nico or anything like that, but it sounds… familiar.”

“I heard ‘contagion,’ and came as fast as I could.”

Rin suddenly appeared in the doorway, cradling a massively obese orangish-brown tabby in her arms; she was wearing a pair of lab goggles that magnified her eyes to a ridiculous size.

“Sorry, guys, I had to give Mr. Snuffleupagus his shots,” she explained. “But I wanted to see what was going on.”

“You have a cat named Mr. Snuffleupagus?” Eli, who had grown up watching Sesame Street, asked.

Rin held up the tabby cat. “This is Mr. Snuffleupagus.”

Eli couldn’t restrain a chuckle. “He’s beautiful.”

“Thanks!” Rin said enthusiastically. She set the cat on the ground; “Alright, you can go now. Good job, Mr. Snuffleupagus!”

The cat waddled off, and Rin came over to the desk as well. “Now, what’s this about a contagion?” she asked.

“It’s not _necessarily_ an actual contagion,” Nozomi explained. “It could just be an arbitrary name.”

Rin frowned slightly. “… Eli, how did you say you got sick?”

“I… I still don’t know,” Eli said, surprised. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, it seems kind of logical, doesn’t it?” she postulated. “You get a mysterious disease that doctors don’t seem to understand right after investigating a weird government ship. However, the disease doesn’t affect the one other person—Nozomi, who we can reasonably hypothesize is a reject from some government experiment.”

“You have such a way with words, Rin,” Nozomi commented blandly.

“… and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to speculate that this has something to do with her immunity,” Rin continued, unfazed. “So, supposing that Eli acted as some sort of test subject—since she’s an FBI agent, I’m sure they have access to her medical records—they could have improved the virus, and now, whatever they’re planning has something to do with that.”

The other three women were silent for a moment. “… I hate to say it, but Rin has a point,” Umi said. “And a contagion—especially if it’s airborne—can spread quickly. There could already be people infected, and they wouldn’t even know it.”

“Then we need to work quickly,” Eli said, standing up and placing both hands on the desk. “If I die from this, it’s one thing, but we can’t let it kill thousands of people.”

“We don’t know where to start, though,” Umi said. “It’s going to take me a while to get through this code, and even then, there will still be roadblocks and other issues. And we don’t even know how much time we might have.”

“Then there isn’t any time to waste,” Eli insisted. “I know we’ve tried this already, but Rin, maybe if we run a few more tests on my charts—”

“I can—"

“I know,” Nozomi said. All three of them looked at her. “I’m going to try something,” she continued. “Eli, you stay here and run those tests with Rin, that’s a good idea. Umi, you should keep working on the code, and if Kotori gets annoyed that you’re still up, blame me.”

“And where are you going?” Eli asked.

“If it works, I’ll tell you,” Nozomi said, grabbing her coat. “Have faith in me, Eli, I need it.”

\--

7 hours, 8 minutes remaining

 

Toujou took long strides down the halls of the FBI headquarters, with her destination firmly in mind. She felt paranoid, jumpy; anyone who came out of a door was a threat. When she finally reached Nishikino’s office, she took a deep breath and knocked.

As she had hoped, Nishikino herself answered, as her secretary was at lunch. She looked somewhat surprised to see Nozomi.

“Assistant director,” Nozomi said seriously. “I need to have a word with you.”

Nishikino looked skeptical—and Nozomi could tell that she was—but stepped aside anyway. “Come in.”

“No,” Nozomi said. “Outside.”

Nishikino frowned at her. “Toujou, I’m on my break—”

“It’s important,” she insisted. “It’s—it’s about Eli.”

Her face softened into surprise and Nishikino suddenly looked concerned. “What happened?” she asked.

“I’ll explain it as soon as we get outside,” Nozomi assured her. “Come on, there isn’t much time.”

“I don’t understand why you can’t tell me here—”

“Director, PLEASE.”

“Fine, fine,” she agreed, and walked out. “But, honestly, Toujou, this isn’t very professional.”

They hurried downstairs and out of the building, and Nozomi led her towards the back.

“Where are we going?” Nishikino asked.

“It’s just a bit farther,” Nozomi assured her.

They reached a secluded alleyway, hidden inside the structure of the building. Nozomi brought them all the way down and stopped at the dead end.

"Toujou, what—”

Nozomi shoved her against the wall before she could finish the sentence. She grabbed the gun out of her jacket and held it up, not directly towards Nishikino, but enough so to threaten her.

“What the FUCK—” she began, then saw the gun. “What the _fuck,”_ she said, more quietly, “is going on? Toujou, are you trying to get arrested?”

“You distracted us,” she said furiously. “You gave Eli and I a case that _you—_ or someone you work with—set up, so that we would stay away from something. What was it? What were we supposed to be distracted form?”

Nishikino turned pale. “I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if you don’t put that gun down, I’ll—”

“I can smell the guilt on you, director,” Nozomi said. “I know you work with her. You’ve told me it before, and you were supposed to change. In fact…” she stopped, and frowned. “… Why can’t I hear you?”

Maki stared at her. “What are you talking about?”

Nozomi didn’t answer her, only stared blankly at the wall. “… She’s protecting you,” she said.

The rest of the blood drained from Nishikino’s face. “If I tell you, she’ll kill me,” she said in a hoarse whisper. “I can’t be useful for too much longer, if I tell you, I’ll die.”

“And if you _don’t_ tell me, thousands of people will die,” Nozomi said. “Can you really handle that kind of guilt? Being responsible for the death of thousands?”

She could feel Nishikino shaking under her grip. Her hooded eyes searched around, as though looking for an escape; finally, they settled on Nozomi.

“Find Janet Hooker before 9:59 PM tonight,” she instructed. “Carmen’s ring matches her eyes.”

“What does that mean--?”

Suddenly, Nishikino grabbed her arm, and threw Nozomi off of her and against the wall. There was the echo of footsteps running down the alleyway, then nothing.

Nozomi picked herself up, swearing under her breath. _Janet Hooker,_ she thought. _Is she an agent? Dammit, Nishikino. Always so cryptic._

She looked at the time on her phone. It was a little past one. Whatever was going to happen—they were running out of time.

\--

5 hours, 24 minutes remaining

When Nozomi arrived back at the United Vigilante headquarters, Eli was waiting for her, looking nervous.

“Did you find anything?” she asked, running up to Nozomi as she came out of the car.

“Nishikino cracked under pressure,” she said; she noticed Eli’s questioning look, and held up a hand. “Better not to ask.”

“What did she say?”

“’Find Janet Hooker before 9:59 PM tonight,’” Nozomi repeated. “’Carmen’s ring matches her eyes.’ I would have told you earlier, but I didn’t feel safe using my phone.”

“Janet Hooker,” Eli repeated thoughtfully. “The name sounds vaguely familiar.”

“Is she another agent?”

“I don’t think so,” she said. “I feel like I heard it a long time ago, back when I was a student. Or maybe even younger. Let’s go look it up.”

“Who from your past could possibly have a connection to this?” Nozomi asked as she followed her into the building. “A professor at John’s Hopkins?”

“I guess it’s possible,” she said. “After all, you told me that Nishikino got involved through her studies; it’s not unthinkable.”

Inside, Rin was inside her lab, work furiously on something in a petri dish.

“Where’s Umi?” Nozomi asked her.

“Kotori and I combined forces to make her take a nap,” Rin said, only looking up briefly from her work. She paused. “At least, I hope they’re napping.”

“Rin, don’t be gross,” Nozomi said lightly.

Eli was already at the computer. “Janet Hooker, you said?” she asked Nozomi, pulling up an FBI database. “Let me look, maybe she’s in here.”

The computer flashed, and a list of blue text appeared, listing names, birthdays, and ID numbers. None of them matched Janet Hooker.

“Internet search?” Nozomi suggested.

Eli nodded, and tried searching the name on the web. An encyclopedia page appeared, entitled “Janet Annenberg Hooker.”

“Janet Annenberg Hooker was an American philanthropist…” Eli read aloud. “She contributed $5 million of the $10 million cost of the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals—oh!” Eli smacked her forehead. “The Hooker Hall of Geology! In the Smithsonian!”

“The Smithsonian?”

"Yes, the Smithsonian!” Eli exclaimed. “The Museum of Natural History, I used to go there all the time in high school! My parents had memberships, and we would go on weekends if I did well on a test. I loved them.”

“Your reward for learning was more learning? You were a big nerd even as a kid.”

“So whatever’s going on, it’s taking place in the museum,” Eli said, ignoring her partner. “And the ring, that must refer to something in the collection.”

"We need to go, then,” Nozomi said. “We don’t know how much time we’ve got.”

“What is it?” Rin said, emerging from the lab. “Did you guys figure it out?”

“Maybe,” Eli said, grabbing her bag off the table. “We’re going to investigate. In the meantime, Rin, be ready for anything.”

A gleam of excitement reflected off Rin’s yellow-green eyes. “I always am!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha um SO the next part will HOPEFULLY be up within two weeks. I know what's going to happen, but university has me in a fucking headlock this semester.   
> So yes! Check back! Tell your friends! My tumblr is @sailor-rinn, and I'm always here for complaints/insults/compliments/sarcastic remarks.  
> My notes will be MUCH longer next time.


	16. Ground Zero: Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, the greatest adventures are right outside our doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWO WEEKS Y'ALL. I TOLD YA.  
> As always, please read the notes!

 3 hours, 4 minutes remaining

           Nozomi slammed her hands on the steering wheel. “Damn rush hour!”

           When they arrived at the Smithsonian, it was nearly 6 o’clock, and the museum was closed. However, they went up to the entrance regardless, where two security guards were standing beside the doors. They looked up as the two agents approached.

           “Sorry, miss, we’re closed,” the guard said, stepping in front of Nozomi. “The museum opens again at—”

           Eli had reached for her badge, but Nozomi beat her to it.

           “Special Agent Nozomi Toujou, FBI counterterrorism division,” she said, holding out her identification. Eli wasn’t so sure about the “counterterrorism” part, but decided to let it slide. “We need access to the entirety of the museum.”

           The guard looked surprised. “The security head is the only person who has a master key,” he said. “You can come with me.”

           He led them inside. At the front desk was a tall, rather plump man, with a buzzcut and a thick moustache. The guard approached him with Eli and Nozomi in toe.

           “Reid,” he said; the man looked up. “There are a couple of FBI agents here, say they need full access to the building.”

           The man, Reid, looked at them and folded his arms. “Full access?” he said skeptically. “What for? What seems to be the problem, agents?”

           “We’re not at liberty to discuss that,” Eli said quickly. “But you and everyone else in the building should evacuate as quickly as possible.”

           “I think we deserve an explanation—”

           “This is not a discussion,” Eli said, placing her hand on her gun, something she rarely did. “I need everyone out of the building _now.”_

Both guards watched them for a moment, and Eli became nervous; other security workers hated when the bureaucrats got involved.

           “… Alright,” Reid said, taking a card out of his shirt pocket. Eli let out a breath. “I’ll get everyone out. But I’ll be looking for an explanation.”

           Eli just nodded; the two guards headed for the next hall over, leaving the card with Eli, who turned to her partner.

           “I know where the Hooker area is,” she said. “Come on, we might not have any time to waste.”

\--

2 hours, 44 minutes remaining

 

           The Hooker Geology Hall was lit dimly by glass cases which lined the walls; inside of them, various gems glittered brightly, casting colorful light on their surroundings. The rest of the area was dark and silent.

           Eli and Nozomi moved quickly through the hall, their footsteps muffled by the carpeted floors. They reached the center of the cases and looked around.

           “… Do you see anything?” Nozomi asked.

           Eli shook her head. “There are over two thousand gems here. What did Nishikino say again?”

           “’Carmen’s ring matches her eyes,’” Nozomi said. “We’re looking for a ring.”

           “Alright, that narrows it down, then,” Eli said. “Let’s search.”

           They split up and began investigating the room. Eli paced through the rows of gems and minerals, quickly sweeping her eyes across the displays in search of the ring. About ten minutes passed with no luck, when she heard Nozomi’s voice from off in the distance:

           “Eli! I think I found it!”

           She ran over to where Nozomi’s voice came from. Her partner was standing in front of one of the large glass cases, which contained a massive blood-red ruby ring, flanked with diamonds.

           “It’s beautiful,” Eli said, awestruck.

           “I see why Nico likes it,” Nozomi said. “Come on, we need to figure out where… this _thing_ is hidden.”

           She began feeling around the case, and Eli followed suit. As her hand ran down the glass, she suddenly felt a lurch in her stomach; a pain began to spread down her chest.

           _Not now,_ she thought. _I can’t get sick, not now…_

Nozomi, who didn’t seem to notice Eli’s sudden illness, was checking the floor. “When we find this thing, I’m going to need your help. Assuming it is a contagion, I don’t have a lot of experience with disease, so it’s going to be all you.”

           “Y-Yeah,” Eli agreed, feeling around the floor as well. “Toujou, I—”

           Her fingernails slipped in between something, and Eli stopped. There was a thin break in the carpet; she followed the seam and found that it made a square.

           “Nozomi!” she said. “Nozomi, I found it, it’s under the floor.”

           Nozomi rushed over, and Eli slowly removed the panel. Underneath was the silver metal of an airduct, which contained a gentle breeze, and a black device about the size of a loaf of bread.

           “Holy _shit,”_ Eli whispered as she lifted the device out of the tunnel. “Look at this.”

           A red clock was at the top of the object, which was counting down from 2:31:43, and a thin silver antennae. At the center was a single vial, which contained a clear liquid, labelled “GNV-XXI-B001.” A black panel covered something to the left.

           “The Vigilante were right,” Nozomi whispered. “It is a disease. Do you recognize anything about it?”

           “No, but I’m going to assume that it’s airborne, since it’s hidden in the ducts,” she said. “It looks like this was going to go off sometime tonight.”

           “So that by the time the museum opened tomorrow morning, it would be everywhere,” Nozomi said. “Everyone in the museum would get sick, and since it’s a Saturday, they probably get thousands of visitors. In DC, it would spread like wildfire—people on the metro, in restaurants, other tourist attractions. The whole city could be infected in a matter of days.”

           “We need to get it out of here,” Eli said. “Rin and I will do what we can.”

           She inspected the vials closer and wiggled them a little bit. “They’re stuck,” she muttered. “I don’t think there’s any way to get them out of here without breaking the glass.”

           “Let’s just go, then,” Nozomi said. “We have time.”

           Eli tucked the device under her arm, and they began walking towards the exit. At about the five-yard mark, the device began to beep slowly, and they both came to a dead stop.

           “What is that?” Eli asked. “Nozomi, you’ve worked with bomb squads before, what does this mean?”

           Nozomi bit her lip. “… Take a few steps forward. Trust me.”

           Eli did so, and the device began to beep faster. “Go back, go back!” Nozomi said, and Eli quickly stumbled backward a few feet. “It’s got a range on it,” she continued. “There’s another device around here somewhere, if the bomb goes too far from the center, it’ll explode automatically.”

           “Then we need to find the device, right?”

           “We don’t have time,” Nozomi said; she held up a hand when she saw Eli beginning to protest. “I know, two hours. But these things can be the size of a quarter and positioned anywhere. They might be inside a case, under the floor, in the walls—literally anywhere. We need to disarm it ourselves.”

           They backed up a few more yards, and Eli set the bomb down on the carpet. “Okay,” Nozomi said, inspecting it more closely. “There should be some kind of emergency shut-off…”

           Her hands travelled to black panel, which she flipped up to reveal a key pad with the numbers 0-9 and letters A-C. An LCD screen with four empty slots was at the top, along with the number five.

           “Do you have any idea what the code could be?” Eli asked her.

           Nozomi bit her lip. “Not really… let me think.” She hesitantly typed in 9-5-2. “The project number that was on Nico’s sheet,” she said to Eli.

           She hit the final digit, and the device beeped. The number at the top went down to four. Nothing else happened.

 _“Shit,”_ Nozomi whispered. “We have four tries.”

          “Let’s call the Vigilante,” Eli said seriously. “We can’t keep taking risks.”

          Nozomi nodded and took out her phone; the Vigilante were already on speed dial.

          “Hello?” Rin’s voice said. “Nozomi? Is it you?”

          “Yeah, Rin, it’s me,” Nozomi said. “Listen, I’d love to explain, but I need to talk to Umi ASAP. Is she awake yet?”

          “Yeah, she just got up. One sec.”

          There was the sound of voices from the other line, and someone else picked up the phone. “Nozomi?” Umi said. “What did you find?”

         “Some kind of bomb,” Nozomi explained. “You all were right, it’s a contagion vial. We can’t get the vials out and there’s a range on it. We have to disarm it manually.”

         “Four-digit code?”

         “Yep.”

         “Give me a minute.”

         Nozomi sighed in relief, and lowered the phone down to her shoulder. “Umi’s on it,” she said to Eli, who was looking worried.

         “Nozomi?” Umi’s voice said from the other end. “I’ve got something. Try 2736. Those were the last four flight numbers from the ship you and Eli discovered.”

         She typed in the code. The device beeped again, and the counter ticked down to three.

         “I don’t think you realize how limited on guesses we are here, Umi,” she said tensely. “If we don’t get this in three tries, it’s going to blow.”

         “I’m thinking, I’m thinking,” Umi stressed. “You’re not helping.”

         As Nozomi continued to strategize with Umi, Eli felt another wave of sickness wash over her. She clutched at her stomach, nauseous and suddenly dizzy.

         “No, that didn’t work either—two left, Umi, come on—”

        Her voice faded in and out of Eli’s hearing. She quickly relaxed and allowed all of her muscles to loosen. Eli took a deep breath in, quieting her mind, and felt herself repress her illness.

        “This is the last one, Umi,” Nozomi was saying urgently. Stress replaced the sickness in Eli’s stomach. “We’re going to die. Like, let me say that again, just in case I’m not being _extra_ clear about it, we’re _all_ going to die.”

       Eli looked at Nozomi, frightened. Instead of bravery, like she was hoping for, Nozomi looked back at with fear as well. She realized suddenly that, in spite of Nozomi’s “differences,” they were both very human, and very, very scared.

       “…What?” Nozomi said into the phone. Her fear changed suddenly to confusion. “Why that?”

       Silence. “… But that doesn’t make any sense,” Nozomi said. “Why would—Umi this is our _last try,_ either you’re sure or we’re dead, it’s not a—fine. Fine.”

       Nozomi set down the phone on carpet. She took the device, and pulled it close to her.

       “If this goes off,” Nozomi said. “Run. Don’t wait for me, just run. Take the car back to the Vigilante, get out of the city. You’ll have to figure this out together.”

       “I can’t argue with you, I assume?”

       “Not even a little.”

       “…” Eli looked at the floor. “Put the code in.”

       Nozomi gently pressed the buttons; each second felt like it was eating away at Eli like a parasite. Finally, the device beeped twice, and the black bar holding down the vial popped up.

       “Oh thank god,” Nozomi breathed. “Oh my god. Okay, I’ll admit it, I didn’t really want to die.”

       “I didn’t want you to die either,” Eli said, leaning against a nearby case. “But we’re fine. It’s fine. We’ve got the case.”

       Hysterical yelling could be heard from Nozomi’s phone. “Umi?” she said, picking it up. “We’re fine, we’re fine. We’ve got the vial. Heading your way now.”

       She hung up. “Rin’s going to get a BSL-4 contamination area set up so you two can look at this thing. In the meantime, let’s get out of here.”

       Eli looked confused. “Rin has access to BSL-4 contamination gear?”

       “I find it’s often better to not ask Rin questions about her methods.”

       With the vial tucked safely inside Eli’s bag, the agents raced from the museum to the car; something occurred to Eli that she had forgotten to ask.

       “Nozomi,” she said, as they approached the front door. “What was the code?”

       For a moment, Nozomi didn’t answer. “… It was my birthday,” she said flatly.

       “Your birthday?”

       “Just the year,” Nozomi said. “It could be a coincidence.”

       Eli wanted to ask more, but she suddenly felt her legs begin to shake; there was a familiar nausea in her stomach.

       “Oh no,” she said. “Nozomi--!”

       Nozomi turned around just as Eli began to collapse. She caught her partner under the arms and lowered them both slowly to the ground.

       “What happened?” Nozomi demanded, searching Eli’s face. “Are you alright?”

       “I don’t know,” Eli said; she had began to sweat, although her body felt very cold. “I had started to feel ill earlier, but I didn’t think it meant anything.”

       “We need to get you to a hospital,” Nozomi said firmly. “Come on—”

       “No!” Eli interrupted. “No, Nozomi, if Nico figures out that we’ve taken the vial, she’ll come looking for us, and we’ll be sitting ducks in a hospital.”

       “I’ll call Rin and Kotori, then,” she said, helping Eli stand. “Maybe Rin can think of something for you, and Kotori is an expert caretaker.”

       Eli nodded submissively, and crawled along with Nozomi to the car. As she settled into the passenger seat, Nozomi pulled out her cellphone.

       “Rin?” she said. “Why are you answering Umi’s phone, I—is it Candy Crush again? Dammit, Rin, this is serious. Eli’s getting worse. How much worse?” She looked over at Eli, who gave her a significant look. “… Much worse. Have an IV bag ready. I’ll see you then.”

\--

       When they reached the United Vigilante headquarters, Kotori and Rin were waiting outside for them. They rushed over to the passenger door, where Eli was leaning against the side.

      “I can walk,” she assured them as they crowded around her. “Really, I appreciate it, but I can walk.”

      “Are you sure?” Kotori asked, her voice warbling with overwhelming concern. “Eli, you don’t even know what’s wrong yet, you shouldn’t—”

      “Hey, Eli, do you have any allergies?” Rin said, holding a lab notebook and a pen. “I mean, y’know, penicillin, amoxicillin, latex—?”

      “Rin, let her rest for a moment,” Kotori scolded. “Come on, Eli, I’ve got a bed set up for you. I’ll get you some water…”

      The four of them limped back inside, where Kotori helped Eli to a couch.

      “Did something happen?” Kotori asked as she covered Eli with a blanket.

      “I think it was the stress,” Eli said hoarsely. “I thought at first that it was my nerves, but it just kept getting worse.”

      “Why didn’t you say something?” Nozomi asked.

      “Didn’t want to distract from what was important,” she said. Out of her pocket, she took the vial from the device, and held it out to Nozomi.

      “… You _are_ what’s important,” Nozomi muttered, taking the vial. “Rin!” she called. “Do you have a quarantine set up?”

      “Of course!” Rin’s small voice called from somewhere within the building. “Bring me that vial!”

      Nozomi looked at Kotori. “Please take care of her.”

      She disappeared out of the room, and Kotori chuckled, placing a warm washcloth on Eli’s forehead. “She loves you so much,” she said.

      Eli started, surprised. “What? I mean--?”

      “You don’t sacrifice like this for someone you don’t love,” Kotori continued knowingly. “Nozomi teases Umi about being shy sometimes, but I think they’re more alike than she realizes.”

      Eli was silent. _“… You are what’s important.”_

\--

Hours later

      The sun was just beginning to come up; Eli had since fallen asleep on the couch, with her loyal caretaker not far behind. Umi was still in front of the computer, the artificial light of the screen accentuating the bags which had formed under her eyes.

       Nozomi entered from the door in the back wall, visibly exhausted and still wearing a protective mask.

      “Anything?” Umi asked, not looking up.

      "No,” she said flatly. “We infected a couple of rats a few hours ago, but there’s nothing so far. Rin is trying to make a culture now.”

      “Communication lines are quiet,” Umi continued. “Either no one’s realized it’s gone yet, or they’re keeping it very, very quiet.”

      “Understandable.” She looked at Eli, who was sleeping peacefully. “Has she woken up at all?”

      “She’s been quiet all night.” Nozomi didn’t answer. “Are you worried about her?”

      “It’s not obvious?”

      “Well, I didn’t want to be rude.” 

      “Yeah, I’m worried,” Nozomi said. “I don’t know how much time she has left.”

      “And how much time you have left together?”

      Nozomi looked alarmed, but at that moment, the door opened and Rin peaked her head in.

      “Nozomi!” she hissed. “Some of the rats are sick!”

      “Coming,” Nozomi said, standing up. She stood and glanced at Umi, who had finally looked up at her. “… Yes.”

      She and Rin disappeared again, leaving Umi alone in the darkness.

\--

Later the same morning

 

           Eli woke up in a pool of sunlight, which was streaming through the window that sat behind the couch. There was a pressure near her feet; she forced her eyes open and blinked away the blurriness acquired in sleep.

           Nozomi was sitting on the end of the couch, asleep. Her face was relaxed and gentle, delicate eyelashes resting against her skin; Eli watched the sunlight shift across her with lidded eyes, careful not to disturb her.

           The peace lasted only seconds, before one Rin’s many cats, Dr. Muffins, jumped on top of the couch, starting them both.

           “Dr. Muffins!” Eli scolded loudly. The fat grey tabby looked at her and meowed.

           “Well, hello there,” Nozomi said, picking up the cat and holding it in the air. “Rin needs to put you on a diet.”

           Dr. Muffins meowed in protest, apparently insulted. Nozomi chuckled, and set him down.

           “There you go,” she said. “Off with you.” She turned back to Eli. “Sleep well?”

           “Yeah,” Eli said. “What’s happened?”

           “We infected a couple of the rats,” she said. “Took hold after a few hours, looks like the incubation period is around seven to ten hours.”

           “Just long enough for no one to realize they were sick until it was too late,” Eli said bitterly. “Brilliant.”

           “It’s a good thing we got to it,” Nozomi agreed. “Most of the rats died within hours, but a few seem to be holding on. Can’t imagine they’ll last much longer, though. One seems to be immune.”

           Eli’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Immune?”

           “We have no idea what’s caused it,” she said. “Rin is running a DNA scan on it now, but it could be any number of things. Of course, it seems like the same is true in humans, seeing as you got sick, and I haven’t.”

           “Any word on a cure?”

           Nozomi looked away, making Eli’s heart plummet into her gut. “No,” she said. “It… it takes months to develop a cure, you know that.”

           “O-Of course,” Eli said. “I was just—”

           “I should go check on Rin,” Nozomi said hurriedly, standing up. “Make sure she hasn’t fallen asleep with her face in a petri dish of god-knows-what.”

           She left the room; Eli reclined against the couch and was promptly rejoined by Dr. Muffins.

           “Take a good rest,” she said, petting the cat as it stretched out in her lap. “We’re both going to need it.”

\--

           Soft light filled the lab, which was otherwise shut off from the outside. Rin was sitting on her phone, playing a game.

           “Don’t you have something more important to do?” Nozomi asked, causing Rin to startle and shut off the screen.

           “You scared the shit out of me!” she said. “And no, I’m waiting on test results. How’s Eli?”

           “I was going to ask you that.”

           Rin looked back down at her phone. “Her carcinogen levels are exponentially high. It’s a miracle she’s as functional as she is.”

           Cold fear seeped into Nozomi’s brain, but she fought to keep a straight face. “How long do you think she has?”

           “I can’t really say,” Rin said. “We don’t know how this disease works; if this was regular cancer, I’d give her a few weeks.”

           Nobody spoke. “… I’m sorry, Nozomi,” Rin said. “I won’t stop working until I’ve found a cure. I really won’t.”

           “I know, Rin,” Nozomi assured her. “But you deserve time to work properly. This isn’t something that you can rush through. Unlike Dr. Keating’s chemistry class.”

           The both of them smiled briefly at the passing of a shared joke. Silence overtook the room a second time.

           “… Rin,” Nozomi said suddenly. Rin perked up; “Have you replicated the virus yet?”

           “I have a culture going, but it’s going to take some time,” she said. “Why?”

           “Where’s the original vial?”

           “On the white counter,” she said; Nozomi walked over and slipped the vial into her bag. “Why, what are you doing?”

           “Going straight to the source,” she said sternly. “Do you have anything that can neutralize this?”

           Rin shrugged. “I mean, sulfuric acid will neutralize just about anything.”

           “Do you have a syringe of it?”

           “I can make one.”

           “Let’s do it, then."

                                                                                                                    - - 

            The FBI headquarters was quiet; many people had taken the weekends off, and the majority of people present were maintenance workers. Rin had Umi open the door to Nishikino's office manually; something, inevitably, that Nozomi would pay for later, but it didn't matter. The hidden door was unlocked as well; she walked all the way down, until arriving at the single door on her left. Nozomi brazenly opened the door to see Nico waiting for her at the desk.

           “You knew I was coming,” she said.

           “Of course,” Nico said. Her arms were folded and her red-eyed gaze was transfixed on Nozomi. “You’re looking to make a deal.”

           She held up the vial; a syringe full of clear liquid was stuck in the top. “Give me the cure for Eli’s disease,” she said.

           “And why should I?”

           “If you don’t, I’ll destroy the only successful strain you’ve made,” she said, brandishing the vial.

           Nico frowned. “How do you know that’s the only one?”

           “I can smell it on you.”

           Nico’s frowned deepened, and a crease appeared in her brow. “Or,” she said, glaring at Nozomi, “you could give it to me _now.”_

Nozomi felt a sudden compulsion to move forward; she stumbled forward a step, arm outstretched, before straightening back up.

           “Don’t—try that on me,” she grimaced. Resisting the urge to move felt like stabbing herself with a thousand tiny needles.

           “What the fuck?” Nico demanded. “How are you--?” she sneered. “I suppose it makes sense. Fine. I’ll give you the cure.”

           Nozomi took a step forward. “But,” Nico said, “there’s one more condition.”

           “… What?”

           “You step down,” she said, pointing at Nozomi threateningly. “You will stop investigating the X-Files, and you will stop investigating me and my affiliations. Is that clear?”

           Nozomi’s grip on the vial tightened; she thought about Eli, back at the Vigilante headquarters. “… Fine,” she said flatly. “I’ll step down. Where’s the cure?”

           “Evidence room, box 3491-333,” Nico said. “Go, and don’t ever come back here.”

           She began to back out of the room. As she reached the door, Nozomi stopped suddenly, and looked again at Nico. “One last thing. The code on the device—why that year?”

           Nico smiled at her, but there was no hint of kindness behind it. “That’s my birthday.”

           A wave of fear washed over Nozomi, and she backed up through the doorframe. “But,” she said, “that would mean--?”

           “It’s taken you long enough to figure it out,” Nico said flatly. “We’re not so different, you and I. Don’t you recognize me, _Shisutā?”_

“I don’t understand,” Nozomi said. “Who are you?”

           “I’m the more successful version of you,” Nico explained. “Twin embryos, implanted with the same genetic sequences—two psychic warriors. The telekinetic genes grafted to me, but not to you; and you, therefore, were removed. But maybe, in another alternate universe, who knows.” She shrugged her shoulders. “We might be working on this together.”

           “I wouldn’t work for you in this universe, or any other.”

           “You say that now,” Nico remarked, “but you don’t know who you are under different conditions. None of us do.” She held raised her outstretched hand. “Now go find the cure for your Eli.”

           The office door slammed shut in front of Nozomi’s eyes; there was the sound of a latch turning, and then silence.

           Nozomi shook slightly as she thought about Nico’s words; _“We’re not so different, you and I.”_ She thought about Nico’s red eyes and vain gaze, the compact usually clutched in her hand, the life she led, and shuddered.

           _I won’t be like her,_ she thought. _I could never be._

She ran down to the evidence room, which was in the basement, and swiped her ID card in the lock; it beeped open, and she ran to aisle 3941. Midway through was box 333, which was about the size of a softball. The black cardboard was tied with twine, and when Nozomi picked it up, left a light ring of dust on the shelf. Whatever was inside had been here a long time.

           Nozomi opened the box with shaking fingers. There was a single vial inside, labelled “XX-63.” The fluid inside was clear, with a single, thin white strand floating inside. She held the vial up to the light.

           “… DNA?” she said aloud.

           But there was no time for close inspection; Nozomi secured the small vial inside of a pocket in her bag, and rushed out of the room.

           “Umi?” she said, pressing the Vigilante’s speed-dial button. “Tell Rin to get ready. I have the cure.”

           “What?” Umi’s voice demanded from the other line. “How? What did you do?”

           “… I’m not sure, actually,” she confessed. “But, listen, it doesn’t matter for right now. I’ll be there within the hour.”

           “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

           Nozomi shrugged. “I usually do.”

\--

           When Nozomi arrived back at the headquarters, she knocked on the heavily-guarded door, which swung open immediately.

           “There you are,” Umi said before she even got a good look at Nozomi. “Come on, Rin is practically frothing at the mouth.”

           “You know,” Nozomi said as she followed her inside. “I could have been anyone just there.”

           “But you weren’t,” Umi said flatly. “So it’s fine.”

           There was nothing to argue there, Nozomi figured. They went back to the lab, where Rin and Eli were talking about—what else—cats.

           “I call him Dr. Muffins because he tends to sneak up on my breakfast and chow down,” Rin was saying.

           “Maybe that’s why he’s so fat,” Eli offered.

           “He can barely get on the couch anymore! I have no idea how he gets to my food.”

           “That’s because you let him, Rin,” Umi said flatly.

           Rin and Eli both looked up. “You’re back!” Rin exclaimed. “Did you get the cure?”

           “The cure--?” Eli began, but Nozomi cut her off by pulling the vial out of her purse. _“Nozomi,”_ she whispered, her eyes softening. “Is it really?”

           “It sure better be,” Nozomi said, handing it to Rin. “I told you, Eli. I’ll stick with you.”

           Eli held out her hand to Nozomi, while Rin busied herself with a syringe. Their fingers intertwined, and Eli smiled up at her partner.

           “I never doubted you,” she said. “Not your loyalty. Some of your crazy theories—maybe. But you? I’d trust you with my life. And it’s a good thing that I did.”

           Rin came over holding the syringe and swabbed a patch of Eli’s arm with an alcohol wipe. “Ready?” she asked, placing the needle against a vein.

           “Ready,” Eli said, squeezing Nozomi’s hand. Rin emptied the syringe into her arm, and the three of them stood in quiet anticipation. After a moment of tense silence, Rin whispered:

           “Do you feel anything?”

           “… Maybe?” Eli said truthfully. “I could swear I feel a bit better, but it could be a placebo effect.”

           “That’s better than nothing,” Nozomi said. She squeezed her hand again; “We still have all of tomorrow. Hopefully, by Monday, you’ll be back in working order.”

           “I can never thank you enough,” Eli said. “Really. Nozomi, you’ve saved my life.”

           “Don’t thank me,” she said. “I was the one who got you into this in the first place; you wouldn’t be sick if it weren’t for me.”

           Eli smiled warmly at her. “A small price to pay for the greatest adventure of one’s life.”

           Nozomi smiled back. “Great indeed.”

\--

           Rin, Umi, Nozomi, and Kotori all _insisted_ that Eli spend the rest of the weekend in their care. There were still tests to be done—and potential side effects to watch out for—and “besides,” Rin had said, “Kotori’s soup could cure anything.”

           Once Sunday came to a close, and Eli was safely back at home, Toujou finally retired to her own apartment. She collapsed on her bed and stared at the canopy that hung above it.

           “You did all right, Nozomi,” she said to herself. “You did all right.”

           Thoughts of Saturday morning trickled back to her; she’d suppressed Nico’s words as far as she could, but they were bound to return to her.

           _That could have been me._

_That could have been me._

_That could have been me._

She shook her head. _No,_ she thought; she would never choose to go down the path that Nico had.

           _… Right?_

A different life, different circumstances—could her own morals really count that much under the pressure of what Nico had undergone? What made her that different? If they were siblings…

           She sat upright in bed. “I am not her,” Nozomi said aloud. “I will never be her. She does not define me.”

           _What makes you different?_ Nico’s voice sneered inside her head. _We’re more alike than you think._

“I feel love,” she said. “I feel compassion. She doesn’t know anything about that. Only vanity and self-absorption.”

           _And who is that you love, Nozomi?_

“I love--.”

           She stopped and considered the question; a lump formed in her throat. “Eli,” she said firmly. “I love Eli.”

           _Then do something about it._

\--

The following day

           _Flowers are too much,_ Nozomi told herself. _Eli wouldn’t like that, it’s too over-the-top, especially for a workplace. I’ll just ask her over tonight. That’ll work fine._

Nozomi hadn’t been this nervous since she first spoke to a Reticulan whom she had been chasing for months. It had turned out to just be a small child in a very well-made suit, but regardless, the experience itself was nerve-racking.

           She had been up all night deliberating on what to do. Every possible path seemed to be either too much or not enough—Eli wouldn’t want her to make a big deal of things in the headquarters, especially not if other people were around. She had to find the perfect balance between subtle and extravagant. Unfortunately, Nozomi was, by nature, an extravagant person. If she did it in her apartment, though, she could lean more towards extravagance—and hopefully impress Eli along the way.

           Her car was parked in the back of the garage, and Nozomi power-walked her way to it. As she sat down and went to start the car with shaking hands, she realized suddenly that something was off. The tiny figure of an alien which decorated her car’s dashboard had been moved. It was only inches to the left, but it had certainly been moved. Someone had been inside.

           Nozomi began to check the rest of the car. Nothing else was out of place, and there hadn’t been anything to steal in the first place; Nozomi slowly opened the door again, and got out of the car as carefully as she could. Using her bag to as a counterweight, she popped the hood, and it opened just a few inches under the weight of her purse. She carefully opened it the rest of the way and grimaced; a mass of wires was visible near her engine.

           _A car bomb?_ She thought bitterly. _Amateur hour. So much for that promise._

Nozomi took out her cellphone and dialed the Vigilante. She’d already called on them quite a lot lately, but… this was going to take some help.

\--

           Eli sat alone in her apartment, holding a rapidly-cooling mug of coffee. Nozomi hadn’t come into work today. They had a long weekend, sure—but today, more than ever, Eli had been counting on her for support.

           Her sickness was rapidly depleting; whatever was in the vial had worked. Today, for the first time in weeks, she felt really, truly ready to work, and her partner hadn’t been there.

           “Of course Nozomi doesn’t show when I actually _want_ to do something ridiculous…” she murmured, stirring another packet of sugar into her coffee.

           A knock came from the door of her apartment. Eli abandoned her coffee, and and peered through the peephole; Nozomi was standing outside.

           _What incredible timing this woman has,_ she thought as she flung open the door. “Nozomi?!” she said. “What is it? Why weren’t you at work today?”

           “In a moment,” she said as she hurried inside. “We should try to keep our voices down.”

           They shuffled into Eli’s kitchen and took seats at the wooden table. “What’s going on?” Eli asked. “Where were you?”

           “It’s Nico,” Nozomi said. “She’s—not done.”  
           “What?”

           Nozomi bit her lip. “I should tell you how I got that cure.”

           Her partner leaned forward, expression skeptical.

           “You should.”

           She explained to Eli about how she’d confronted Nico in her office; all the while, she watched as Eli’s face turned from confusion, to surprise, to unamused, and then back to surprise. Finally, Nozomi came to the part she’d been dreading.

           “There’s—one more thing,” she said quietly. “Do you… remember that file we found on me? Way back in the ship?”

           “Yes.”

           “Nico is… my sister,” she said. Eli looked surprised, but didn’t say anything; Nozomi looked away anyway. “Whoever… ‘made’ us, I guess, must have used two embryos from the same donor. She is the more successful version of me—”

           “No.”

           Nozomi looked up. Eli was watching her determinedly; “You’re not a version of _anything,_ you’re you. It doesn’t matter how you’re related—you made the decisions in life that got you here, you chose to be a good person. It’s your heart that determines what you do, not your genes.”

           A moment of silence passed between them. Slowly, reverently, Nozomi placed her hands on either side of Eli’s face.

           “I have,” she said, “been dreaming up so many ways to do this. None of them seemed right for you.”

           Eli didn’t answer. “I am so stupid in love with you,” Nozomi said plainly. “And all day, the only thing I’ve thought about is how to tell you. You really are the greatest adventure; remember when you said you were envious of Kotori and Umi’s story? Now’s the chance to right your own; you don’t have to do it alone, either. We can write it together. I’ll be your hero, your sidekick, your love interest, anything you want me to be. I’ll be your ghost writer until the end of time.”

          Another brief moment of silence passed, then Eli broke into a smile. “Nozomi,” she said, bubbles of laughter evident in her voice. “Don’t you know you’ve already given me the greatest adventure I could ever ask for?”

         Nozomi didn’t answer. “But,” she continued, touching their foreheads together. “Every story needs a happily ever after.”

         Eli kissed her, and Nozomi was sure she’d pass out. When she finally did relax, she pulled Eli closer to her, winding one hand through her ponytail; they stayed intertwined for several minutes, before Nozomi broke them apart.

        “I don’t mean to sound corny, but I think I’ve found mine."

        Eli laughed and kissed her again. “I kind of like corny.” Nozomi grinned at her. “But what are you going to do?” she asked. “About Nico, I mean?”

        Nozomi’s expression darkened. “I’ll have to go into hiding for a little while,” she said quietly. “Keep as low to the ground as I can.”

        “I’ll come with you,” Eli said quickly. “Let me just get my bag and—”

        “No, no,” she said, holding onto Eli’s wrist. “You need to stay here and keep an eye on what’s going on. It’ll be bad if both of us disappear at the same time.”

        “But Nozomi—”

        “Eli, I swear on my life, I _will_ come back for you,” Toujou pleaded. “Do you think I could do this on my own? Never. But please—wait for me. I’ll be back before you know it. In the meantime, stay low, stay hidden. I love you.”

        “… Won’t you at least stay the night?”

        Nozomi smiled sadly at her. “Someday, I will.”

\--

One week later

       Director Nishikino lowered her head into her hands, rubbing her temples with her pointer fingers. She looked up at Eli across the white table; bags were visible under her eyes in the florescent light.

       “So you really, truly do not know where Agent Toujou is?” she said, audibly exhausted.

       “I have no idea,” Eli said firmly. This was the truth.

       “And she didn’t say anything to you before she left?”

       “No.” This was a lie.

       “Alright then,” Nishikino said, throwing her hands up in the air. “Well, Ayase, if she contacts you, make sure to tell me, but first tell her that she’s caused me an absolute nightmare. A missing agent is the logistical equivalent of a kick to the nads.”

       Eli had to pinch herself under the table to keep from laughing at Nishikino’s vulgarity. “Yes, ma’am,” she said. “In the meantime, what should I be doing?”

       “In the _meantime,_ I’ve assigned you a new partner,” Nishikino said, looking at a pile of paperwork. “Fresh out of Quantico. I’m sure you two will get along great.” She looked at the door. “Send her in please!”

 _Great,_ Eli thought. _Fresh out of Quantico._

        The door opened and a woman appeared in the frame. She had an amicable, childlike face and bright blue eyes; her hair, which flanked her shoulders, was carrot-orange, much brighter than Nishikino’s.

       “Ayase,” Nishikino said. “Meet your new partner—this is Special Agent Honoka Kousaka.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE WE ARE GUYS  
> Alright, I've got a lot to cover in these notes.  
> First thing's first, this is not the end of Nozomi. Obviously. If you've seen X-Files, we're sort of in season 7 now.  
> Second, to the people who have donated to my Ko-Fi, THANK YOU!!!!!! I literally cannot even express how grateful I am for this, it's really helping.  
> Finally, for those of you who follow my Haikyuu! works, Aliens Exist will be getting a sequel this April!!!! I'll do a formal announcement, but this is the official signal.  
> Sorry the notes are a bit short this time guys, but I'm exhausted. See you soon! If you want to message me directly about anything, my tumblr is still @sailor-rinn.


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